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172 Featured Specimen
Gentoo penguin

Details

Gentoo penguin

Pygoscelis papua

Size
Wingspan 75–90 cm · 4.5–8.5 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Colony
Lifespan
8-25 years

The gentoo penguin is an active penguin breeding on islands around the Southern Ocean. It dives by day and lives noisily in colonies.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
Southern Ocean

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It uses subantarctic islands and coasts around the Antarctic Peninsula. Ice-free nesting ground and nearby cold feeding waters are important.

Appearance

Wingspan is about 75-90 cm and weight about 4.5-8.5 kg. A white eyebrow patch, orange bill and feet, and streamlined body are characteristic.

Behavior

Active by day, it commutes from colonies to the sea and moves by strong swimming. On land, birds carry pebbles and call around nest sites.

Feeding

It is carnivorous, catching fish, krill, and squid. Underwater, the wings act as flippers for fast pursuit.

Reproduction

Pairs breed on pebble nests and share guarding of eggs and chicks. Older chicks gather while waiting for returning parents to feed them.

Notes

Its status is listed as Least Concern. Local colonies can respond strongly to changes in sea ice and prey availability.