Glimpse Into The Lives Of Penguins In The Antarctic
Penguins are some of the most iconic and loved animals on the planet. They are also an indicator species or keystone species, which means that they are a good barometer of the health of their environment and they play a critical role in their ecosystem. Penguins also play an important role in the carbon cycle, helping to store carbon in the Antarctic ice sheet. The Antarctic is home to eight out of the seventeen penguin species – including the emperor, Gentoo, Adélie, and king penguins – which are all facing significant threats from climate change and human activity. Their populations are declining at an alarming rate, with some species (like the Adélie penguin) on the brink of extinction.
The good news is that there are things we can do to help protect these amazing animals. Through conservation efforts, we can give these birds a fighting chance against the challenges they face. This article will explore the threats to penguins and what we can do to help.
Emperor penguin
Emperor Penguins are the largest of the 18 species of penguins found today, and one of the largest of all birds. Male Emperor penguins can grow up to 48 inches (122 centimeters) tall and weigh 49 to 99 pounds (22 to 45 kilograms). Sadly, Emperor penguins are the least common species of penguins around. Their population is only about 10% of the total penguin population. They are also the only species of penguin that breeds during the Antarctic winter. The female penguins lay their eggs in early spring, and the males incubate the eggs. Emperor penguins can dive deeper and longer than any bird, reaching over 700 feet (200 meters) and staying underwater for up to 18 minutes. Emperor penguins live about 15-20 years in the wild.
Adélie penguin
Adélies Penguins are found along the entire coast of the Antarctic continent. They are some of the most well-known and easily recognizable penguins, with their black and white feathers and their red beaks. They weigh from 7.9 to 13.2 pounds, grow between 18 to 28 inches tall, and once out to sea, Adélies have a typical lifespan of about 11 to 20 years. Adélies only eat krill and small fish, and a colony of 5 million Adélies may eat nearly 17.6 million lbs of krill or small fish daily. Adélie penguins are also some of the most social penguins, living in large colonies that can number in the hundreds of thousands. While they are a familiar sight to many with an estimated 3.8 million breeding pairs in Antarctica, Adélie penguins are actually in decline. Their population has been declining for years due to several factors, including climate change, predation, and food availability.
If we want to ensure that Adélie penguins are around for future generations to enjoy, we need to take action to protect them
Gentoo penguin (Antarctica and sub-Antarctic)
The Gentoo penguin is a species of penguin that is native to the Antarctic region. There is an estimated population of only 380,000 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins in the Antarctic region. Gentoos rank third largest penguin behind emperors and kings, growing up to 20 - 35 inches tall and weighing 10 - 19 pounds. They can be an aggressive species, often picking fights with other penguins. Gentoos are one of the fastest swimming birds, with a top speed of 22mph. Gentoo penguins have a lifespan of 15-20 years. Chinstraps reach depths of 230 ft, but most dives are less than 148 ft. and last between 20–30 seconds. Their diet consists mainly of krill and squid, which they caught while swimming at high speeds. Chinstraps often travel in large groups called rafts, which can number in the thousands. Stones are very important to Gentoos. They use stones to form their nests and male Gentoos give them to female Gentoos as a courtship gift.
Chinstrap penguin (Antarctica and sub-Antarctic)
Chinstrap penguins are one of the most recognizable and emblematic species of penguins. They are also one of the most widespread, with a population of over 12 million breeding adults. Chinstrap penguins get their name from the narrow black band of feathers that runs across their lower jaw and chin, which gives them the appearance of wearing a black helmet or “chinstrap.” Their plumage is mostly black and white, with a black head, back, flippers, and a white belly. They typically have an average height of 27 to 30 inches and weight between 7 to 11 pounds. Chinstrap penguins live for about 20 years and breed in large colonies. They can be an aggressive species, often picking fights with other penguins.
Macaroni penguin (Antarctica and sub-Antarctic)
Macaroni penguins are island-dwelling penguins with an estimated population of 5.5 million pairs. The name "macaroni" comes from the Italian word for "plumed", referring to the bird's distinctive yellow crest. An adult macaroni penguin is about the same height and weight as a chinstrap penguin, growing to around 28 inches and weighing in at about 12 pounds. Macaroni penguins are social birds, and they form large colonies when they breed. The breeding season lasts from October to February, and during this time, the penguins build nests of rocks and vegetation. Each breeding pair typically lays two eggs, which are incubated for around 32 days. These penguins live about 15 years in the wild.
All adult Macaroni Penguins have red eyes. Their diet consists mainly of krill and squid, which they catch by swimming deep below the surface of the water. Sometimes, they will even dive as deep as 500 meters in order to find food. Fun fact, Macaroni Penguins can hop as well as waddle.
Rockhopper penguin
The rockhopper penguin is a small penguin that breeds on several subantarctic islands. Due to its remote breeding locations, little was known about the rockhopper penguin until the late 19th century. The first scientific expedition to study the rockhopper penguin was led by Norwegian explorer Carl Anton Larsen in 1892.
Since then, there have been many more expeditions to study this amazing bird. Today, we know that rockhopper penguins are shy but curious birds that have a black back and white belly. They get their name from their habit of “hopping” from one rock to another. The rockhopper penguin is the smallest of the crested penguins and is easily recognizable by its black and white plumage, red eyes, and orange-yellow crest. The most recent estimate puts their population at 1.5 million breeding pairs. They have an average height of 20 inches and typical weight of 5.5 pounds. Rockhopper penguins live to be about 10 years old in the wild.
Rockhopper penguins were actually once part of a single species, E. chrysocome, which is now separated into three subspecies—a northern group (E. chrysocome moseleyi), a southern group (E. chrysocome chrysocome), and an eastern group (E. chrysocome filholi).
Magellanic Penguin (sub-Antarctic)
Magellanic penguins are a species of penguin that is found in the wild in southern Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands. Their name comes from the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first European to see them in 1520. Magellanic penguins are relatively large penguins, with an average height of 24 to 30 inches tall and weighing around 5.5 to 14 pounds. They have black upper parts with white undersides, and a distinctive black band across their chest. Their diet consists mainly of squid, krill, and small fish.
Magellanic penguins are social animals, and they breed in large colonies. Magellanic tend to be shy around humans, running for cover in their nesting burrows if people are near. They live around 25 years in the wild.
King penguin (sub-Antarctic only)
The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin after the Emperor. King penguins are easily recognizable with their orange and yellow feathers, which are used to keep them warm in the cold Antarctic temperatures. Adult penguins weigh between 20 to 35 pounds and stand 3.5 feet tall. There are an estimated 2.2 million breeding pairs of King penguins living along the coastlines of the sub-Antarctic islands. The King Penguin is a highly social species, forming large colonies that can number in the hundreds of thousands of individuals. They are the most marine of all penguins, all birds even, able to dive to depths of more than 985 feet and can stay underwater for up to nine minutes. In the wild, they tend to live to be about 25 years old.King penguins are known to have mid-afternoon naps, sleeping even more deeply after lunch than during the mornings.
Paragraph about Save the Penguins
Habitat loss, human disturbance, and starvation due to commercial fishing have led to a nearly 30% decline in the penguin population over the last 30 years. Recently studies have even shown that if climate change continues at its current rate, nearly all of the world’s emperor penguin colonies may be pushed to the brink of extinction by 2100. These grim predictions have led even the United States to listed them as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Penguins are flightless birds, meaning to survive, penguins need to be able to find a predictable source of food within their foraging range. Unfortunately, penguins are facing several threats from climate change. Their main food source, krill, is being impacted by changes in ocean temperature and acidity. Krill are also being affected by overfishing. Krill is commercially fished for aquaculture feed and human nutritional supplements. Overfishing, degradation and loss of breeding habitat, and environmental factors have had a devastating impact on some penguin colonies.
We need to work together to ensure the future of penguins. We must identify priority areas for the conservation of penguins and their ecosystems and then propose and implement effective guidelines and policies for their protection aimed at achieving lasting behavioral changes. Then ensuring that sustainable fishing practices are used and raising attention to the existing problems, we can help reduce the pressure on penguin populations. Lastly, by supporting conservation efforts and reducing our impact on the environment, we can all play a role in helping to create a better world for penguins and all other wildlife.
Animal Farm is asking you to help with conserving the world´s penguin species and their associated ecosystems. We encourage consumers to become more environmentally aware and choose sustainable products. Consumers can use their purchasing power to bring about changes in the fishing and animal industry and ultimately help save penguins and other animal life.
Thank you for joining us in Saving the Penguins!