ANTARCTICA

P E N G U I N S

There are just 17 species of penguin worldwide, they all live in the Southern Hemisphere apart

from the Galapagos penguin which just about qualifies as

living in the Northern Hemisphere as it

spans a narrow band at the equator. 

Of this 17, there are 4 that live and nest on

and around the Antarctic continent and a further 3 that

live and nest on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands,

giving us 7 species that can be

considered "Antarctic Penguins"

Adélie penguinPygoscelis adeliae

Estimated population:2.5 million breeding pairs

Breeding Season:November - February

Height: 70cm - 27.5inchesWeight: 5kg - 11lb

Chinstrap penguinPygoscelis Antarctica

Breeding Season:December - March

Height: 68cm - 27 inchesWeight: 4.5kg - 10lb

Estimated population:5 million breeding pairs

Emperor penguinAptenodytes forsteri

Height: 1.15m - 3.8ftWeight: 30kg - 66lb

Breeding Season:April - December

Estimated population:238, 000 breeding pairs

595, 000 individuals

Gentoo penguinPygoscelis papua

Height: 71cm - 28 inchesWeight: 5.5 kg - 12lb

Breeding Season:December - March

Estimated population:320,000 breeding pairs

King penguinAptenodytes patagonica

Height: 95cm - 3.1 ft

Weight: 15kg - 33lb

Breeding Season:Starts in November or January, complex

breeding system, early or late

breeders - raise 2 chicks every 3 years.

Estimated population:

2 to 3.2 million breeding pairs

Macaroni penguinEudyptes chrysolophus

•Height: 68cm - 27 inchesWeight: 4.5kg - 10lb

•Breeding Season:December - March

•Estimated population:9 million breeding pairs.Many populations are in decline.

Rockhopper penguinEudyptes crestatus

Height: 55cm - 21.6

inchesWeight:

2.5kg - 5.5lb

Breeding Season:

December - March

Estimated population:1.8 million

breeding pairsMany

populations are in decline

by 40% and up to 94% for

certain colonies.

Adaptations to living in AntarcticaNest building - All but king and emperor penguins build a nest, though they are usually only a simple pile of stones that are continually stolen and swapped between the members of a colony. The nests are slightly higher than the surrounding land so that if the temperature rises and the snow melts, the nest is not flooded. Emperor and King penguins keep the egg and then the young chick on their feet covered by a brood pouch until they are large enough to regulate their own temperature.

Adaptations to living in AntarcticaBreeding Colonies - penguin colonies are very loud, raucous, busy and smelly affairs. The call of all penguins is as musical and gentle as a braying jackass and the whole colony is usually awash with penguin guano (posh word for bird poop). When I was in Antarctica one thing I did was help with long-term surveys which entailed walking through the colony (terribly frowned upon these days). Each nest is just over two pecking distances apart so the penguins can't reach each other. Of course walking through the middle meant that you were in range of everyone. I used to worry a lot about slipping over in a penguin colony, covered from head to toe in guano and pecked mercilessly.

Adaptations to living in AntarcticaReproduction: Colonies may be of just a handful of breeding pairs or up to half a million birds and more. Many species lay two eggs, though it is rare that two chicks are raised, if food is short it will be fed to the biggest and strongest only. Male and female parents share egg and chick duty. Chicks are fed regurgitated fish and krill (yum!). The chicks leave the nest (or parents feet) when they are large enough to keep their own temperature constant, they form crèches to give each other mutual support and protection from marauding skuas and also to protect against the cold and wind.

Adaptations to living in AntarcticaPredators: Penguins main predators are leopard seals (the main predators of adult birds) and Skuas (the main predators of eggs and unguarded chicks).

Some facts

Two new studies have shown that penguins are struggling to cope with the effects of global warming. Scientists have spent several years studying the animals and their findings show a worrying trend in both areas

Problem

To Survive

Problem

To Survive

Adelie penguins living on Ross Island, Antarctica, are struggling to feed as melting sea ice fragments to form giant icebergs.Meanwhile Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo, Argentina, have been affected by huge rainstorms and strong heat waves.The Magellanic chicks are only protected by a downy coat and can be left to struggle and eventually die when rain torrential rain hits their colony.

Problem

To Survive

Conversely, when a heat wave hits, the chicks' lack of waterproofing means they are unable to cool off by taking a dipIn Antarctica, scientists spent 13 years collecting data on the foraging ability of chick-rearing Adelie penguins, which depend on year-round sea ice.Under "normal" circumstances, the penguins had no problems dealing with changes in sea ice concentrations.

Problem

To Survive

But giant icebergs, appearing as a consequence of global warming, reduced their chances of catching fish to eat.It is unknown how the penguins would cope if such conditions became more common.Meanwhile, a 27-year-long study of 400,000 Argentinian penguins found that an average of 65 per cent of chicks died every year, with around 40 per cent of the deaths caused by starvation.

Problem

To Survive

In some years climate change was the most common cause of death, despite only contributing to an average of 7 per cent overall. In one year, 50 per cent of all chick deaths were attributed to climate change, and 43 per cent in another year were due to the same cause.The researchers explained that starvation and the weather were becoming increasingly linked as the climate changed.

Penguins are popular around the world, primarily for their unusually upright, waddling gait and (compared to other birds) lack of fear of humans. Their striking black-and-

white plumage is often likened to a white- tie suit.

T H E E N D

T H A N K Y O U

BY- PRIYANKA PAL CHOWDHURY