Welcome to Penguins Around the World.

G E N T O O    P E N G U I N S

Gentoo penguins have a wide white stripe that goes across the tops of their heads from one eye to the other. They have a very bright orange beak. They are the largest members of the stiff-tailed family. They live on many of the islands of the Antarctic region but the main colony is on the Falklands. There are about 300,000 breeding pairs on the islands. They live in large and noisy breeding colonies

Their nests are made on the rocky shores. They prefer the inland grasslands for nest building. They carry and pile stones, pebbles, grass, sticks, and anything they can find to make a circle. Gentoos can be very aggressive and will fight over stones or take stones and nest building material away from other birds' nests.

Two eggs are laid inside this circle. Both parents tend to the eggs. The eggs hatch after 34 to 36 days. If there is lots of food, both chicks will survive. The chicks stay in the rock nest for 30 days. Then it forms groups with other chicks called "crèches". They stay here while the parents hunt for food. After about 80 to 100 days the chicks grow their adult feathers and they go on their own.

Gentoo penguins stand about 30 to 35 inches (75 to 95 centimeters) tall. They can weight about 13 pounds (6 kilometers). They eat mostly krill and some small fish.

R O C K H O P P E R   P E N G U I N S

Rockhoppers are part of a family of penguins called the crested penguins because of the brightly colored feathers on their heads. These bright feathers look like long eyebrows. Rockhoppers are the smallest of the crested penguins. They eat squid, krill , and other small fish.

Rockhoppers live on most of the islands in the Antarctic region. There are major colonies on the Falkland Islands. It is estimated that there are over 3 million breeding pairs. Rockhoppers are about 18 to 23 inches (45 to 58 centimeters) and can weigh about 5 to 8 pounds (2 to 3 kilograms). They get their name because they hop over rocks and crevices on the shores where they live.

Penguins make their nests by scraping a hole in the ground and lining it with dried grasses. Two eggs are usually laid. Often only one chick is survives. The first egg is smaller and often gets eaten by predators. The second egg is larger and the chick that hatches from this egg has a better chance of surviving. Rockhoppers are loud, noisy, and feisty birds. They are quick to attack anyone or anything that bothers them.

The male and female guard the eggs and keep them warm for 32 to 34 days. They take turns with each taking care of the eggs for 10 days at a time. When the chick is hatched the male broods and cares for the chick while the female fishes and brings home food. When the chick is about 4 weeks old they huddle with other chicks. These large groups are called "crèches". The chicks do this for warmth and protection. The chicks molt and leave for the open sea when they are 65 to 72 days old.

M A G E L L A N I C    P E N G U I N S

Magellanic penguin is the largest of the warm-weather penguins. This penguin was named after Ferdinand Magellan who first saw them in 1519 on his first voyage around the tip of South America. They have a wide black strip under their chin and another is in the shape of an upside down horseshoe on their stomachs. On their chests they have scattered black spots.

These large penguins stand about 27 inches (70 centimeters) tall and weigh about 9 pounds (4 kilograms). They live on the stormy and rocky shores of the Falklands, Argentina, and Chile. They eat squid and small fish. There are about 400,000 breeding pairs. Their numbers are not threatened. These birds do face a threat from oil spills ,over fishing of their habitats which decrease their food supply, and from getting entangled in fishing nets.

These penguins come on shore to breed. While on land they are very shy and often hide in their deep nest when bothered. Their nests are built under bushes or burrows under rocks. Two eggs are laid in the burrow and often both chicks are raised. The eggs take 39 to 42 days to hatch. The chicks stay in the burrow for about 5 weeks. The male and female share the duty lasting 10 to 15 days each. Once the chicks are hatched they are fed and guarded for 29 days. At this time the chick molts. They go to sea and hunt for food on their own when they are 60 to 70 days old.

Magellanic penguins are part of the warm weather penguins. During the warm weather of the breeding season they lose the feathers around their eyes. The skin underneath turns a pinkish color. When it starts to get cold the feathers around their eyes grow back.

M A C A R O N I    P E N G U I N S

Macaroni penguins are similar to the Royal penguins. They both have the yellow and black plumes joining on the top of the head. The difference is that the Macaroni has solid black feathers on the cheeks and under the chin on the throat, while the Royal penguins have white chins. There are large breeding colonies of Macaroni penguins on the sub-Antarctic Islands of South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard & McDonald Islands. Colonies are also located on the small islands off the southern tips of South America and Africa.

There are an estimated total population of 12 million breeding pairs of Macaroni penguins. They stand about 28 inches (71 cm) tall and weigh 11 to 13 lbs. (5 to 6 kg). This penguin was named by the early English explorers. In the mid 18th century, a young man who wore flashy feathers in his hat was called a "Macaroni". This is also the origin for the words to "Yankee Doodle" sung during the Revolutionary War to poke fun at the poorly dressed Continental Army. The English explorers thought the yellow feathers of this penguin was like a fancy young man called a "macaroni".

Macaroni penguins build a crude nest by scraping a shallow hole in mud or gravel among rocks. The first egg laid is smaller and less likely to hatch. It is often lost to predators and fighting that occurs in the large breeding colonies. The second egg is larger and more likely to hatch. The incubation, keeping the egg warm, is done by both male and female in long shifts. The egg usually hatches within 33 to 37 days.

The male cares for the newly hatched chick for 23 to 25 days while the female brings daily food. At this time chicks have a down covering and they form groups with other chicks called "crèches" for warmth and protection. The parents will feed them every 1 to 2 days until they have their adult feathers and are ready to go on their own. This takes place in about 60 to 70 days. Macaroni penguins eat mostly krill with small amounts of squid.

H U M B O L D T    P E N G U I N S

The Humboldt penguin is often called the Peruvian penguin, although they are also found in Chile. It is found on the rugged coast and offshore islands of Chile and Peru. The name Humboldt came from the early European explorer that first saw these animals.

These penguins stand about 24 inches(60 centimeters) and weighs 6 1/2 to 11 pounds (3 to 5 kilograms). Humboldt penguins have a thick black upside down horseshoe shape on their belly. They look like the African penguin, but are shorter with longer flippers.

Their nests are very well dug burrows in the ground. The female lays two eggs and if there is plenty of food both chicks will survive. The life cycle of this penguin has not been closely observed. Not much information is know about their breeding habits.

Humboldt penguins had lived undisturbed in their habitat for thousands of years. Within the last 100 years their droppings have been used as fertilizer. These droppings are called "guano". Mining the guano has caused serious damage to their habitats. Today the Humboldt penguin is endangered. There are a few as 10,000 birds in the wild today.

G A L A P A G O S    P E N G U I N S

This is the smallest of the warm weather penguins. It stands only 16 to 18 inches (40 to 45 cm) tall and weighs only 5 pounds (2 to 2.5 kg). Galapagos penguins have a thin white band that runs under their chin. They have a black upside down horseshoe shape around their belly. The Galapagos may look like the Magellanic but it is smaller and the black markings on the belly are thinner. They are found on the Galapagos Islands and on Isabela Island just north of the Equator. They are the penguins that live the farthest north.

These penguins use burrows and two eggs are laid. They only mate and breed when there is plenty of food. Often only one chick is raised. Both parents tend the eggs for 38 to 40 days. Chicks are cared for by both male and female. The chick is guarded for about 30 days after hatching. The chicks molts, get their adult feathers, and are on their own in about 60 to 65 days.

One of the main problems for this penguin is keeping cool. Living close to the equator it gets over 100 degrees F (38 degrees Celsius) during the daytime. They keep cool by swimming and hunting for food in the cold water of the Cromwell Current during the day. During the cool nights they sleep and nest on the land. They hold their flippers out to help the heat escape their bodies. They protect their feet from getting sunburned by holding their flippers over their feet when on land.

copyright Phillip Colla, all rights reserved

Galapagos penguins eat mostly small fish such as mullet and sardines. They are dependent on the ocean currents to bring fish to their feeding grounds. Server weather from El Nino caused a severe shortage of food about 20 years ago. At that time over 70% of the Galapagos penguins died. Since then their numbers have increased but many scientist believe this species to be endangered. It is reported that there are about 800 breeding pairs left in the world.