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- Pygoscelis
Adélie penguin
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What is an Adélie penguin?
The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a penguin species with black and white plumage and a small ring of white feathers around each eye. They breed in colonies along the rocky, ice-free coasts of Antarctica and migrate north to forage in open water during winter. They build nests of stones, and both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. The young form groups called "crèches" for protection. Their diet consists of krill, Antarctic blennies, and cephalopods. Predators include killer whales and leopard seals, which prey on adults and juveniles, while skuas and giant fulmars may prey on chicks. The Adélie penguin is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN.
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Where do Adélie penguins live?
During the warmer months, Adélie penguins primarily inhabit breeding colonies along the rocky, ice-free coasts of Antarctica, as well as the South Shetland, South Orkney, and South Sandwich Islands. In winter, they migrate north to forage in open water within the pack ice. There are more than 2.5 million breeding pairs of Adélie penguins in the world, and studies show that several populations are increasing. The loss of ice coverage has created additional ice-free habitat for Adélie penguins.
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What do Adélie penguins eat?
Adélie penguins commonly eat krill, specifically Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias. They also eat Antarctic blennies (Pleuragramma antarcticum) and cephalopods, and they prefer to hunt for food within the first 50 meters (about 165 feet) of the ocean's surface. Krill is a crucial food source for them, and population declines in krill have been linked to decreases in Adélie penguin populations. Like other seabirds, Adélie penguins have salt glands that enable them to ingest salt from seawater.
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How do Adélie penguins care for their young?
After the female Adélie penguins return from the sea, the males display courtship behaviors to attract a mate. If successful, the female lays two eggs around late November to early December. For about 35 days, both parents take turns incubating the eggs. After hatching, they alternate feeding and guarding the chicks. After roughly three weeks, both parents will leave the nest to find food, and the young penguins join a crèche for protection against predators and the cold. About two months after hatching, the young leave the nest to forage independently.
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What are some adaptations that help Adélie penguins survive in Antarctica?
Adélie penguins possess several adaptations that enable them to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment. Their short, stiff feathers are densely packed, which reduces friction in the water and traps a layer of air for insulation. A thick layer of fat provides further insulation against the cold.
To conserve heat, they have a specialized system of thermal conduction in their lower limbs that transfers heat from warm blood to cooler blood returning from their extremities. Also, Adélie penguins huddle in large groups to share body heat and protect themselves from the cold. They migrate north to find food in open water during the winter.
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How are Adélie penguin populations affected by changes in their environment?
Adélie penguin populations are intricately linked to changes in their environment, particularly sea ice coverage and krill abundance. Studies indicate that some Adélie penguin populations have increased due to the breakup of ice shelves along the Antarctic coast, which creates additional ice-free habitat. However, decreased sea ice extent west of the Antarctic Peninsula has been correlated with slight declines in Adélie penguin numbers. This is likely due to the fact that reduced sea ice can diminish krill numbers, a primary food source for Adélie penguins, as krill lose their under-ice habitat. Some ecologists attribute population declines of Adélie penguins to low krill abundance caused by climate change.
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Adélie penguin, (Pygoscelis adeliae), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by black and white plumage and a small ring of white feathers surrounding each eye. During the warmer months Adélie penguins are found primarily in several breeding colonies along rocky, ice-free coasts of Antarctica; colonies also occur on the South Shetland, South Orkney, and South Sandwich islands. During the winter months they migrate northward to forage in areas of open water in the pack ice. The Adélie penguin also serves as the inspiration for World Penguin Day, celebrated annually on April 25, which coincides with the migration of newly independent young to the Southern Ocean.
Physical features
Adult Adélie penguins stand 70–73 cm (about 28–29 inches) tall and weigh 4–6 kg (about 9–13 pounds), the males being slightly taller and heavier than the females. A continuous region of black feathers covers the bird’s head, throat, back, and tail, whereas the entirety of its ventral (front) side is composed of white feathers. Aside from its prominent white eye ring, other distinguishing features include elongated feathers on the back of the head that can be lifted to form a crest and a bill coloured black and dull orange. Juveniles, in contrast, possess a white throat and black eye rings. The feathers of Adélie penguin chicks range from light gray to dark black.
Predators and prey
Although Adélie penguins are capable of descending to approximately 170 metres (about 560 feet) beneath the surface of the ocean in search of prey, they prefer to hunt within the first 50 metres (about 165 feet) where light availability is greatest. They subsist on krill (Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias). They also feed on Antarctic blennies (Pleuragramma antarcticum) and cephalopods. Killer whales (Orcinus orca) and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) prey upon adult and juvenile Adélie penguins at sea; leopard seals also attack and kill Adélie penguins from beneath thin ice. Chicks may be taken by skuas (Catharacta) and giant fulmars (Macronectes giganteus).
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Nesting and breeding
In preparation for the breeding season, unpaired males return to their breeding colonies to build small nests of stones. Arrival time is about late September, but it often varies with latitude, the members of colonies located at more northerly latitudes arriving first. After females return from the sea a few days later, males initiate the so-called ecstatic display, a series of courtship behaviours that includes neck arching and beak thrusting, to attract a mate. Copulation occurs with the male standing on the female’s back. If it is successful, two eggs are laid in late November through early December. Incubation, which alternates between both parents, occurs over the next 35 days. Likewise, when the eggs hatch, both parents take turns feeding and guarding the chicks. Some three weeks later both parents leave the nest to forage simultaneously in the sea. The young join a “crèche,” a group made up of numerous others in their cohort, for added protection against predators and the cold. Approximately two months after they hatch, most young leave the nest to forage independently. The average age of sexual maturity in females is three years, whereas males become sexually mature at age four. Both sexes often return to the colony of their birth to breed. Adélie penguins may live as long as 16 years.
Conservation status
By some accounts there are more than 2.5 million breeding pairs of Adélie penguins in the world. Studies show that several populations are increasing. Much of this increase has been attributed to the breakup of ice shelves along certain parts of the Antarctic coast, especially on the Antarctic Peninsula since the 1990s. The loss of ice coverage has created additional ice-free habitat for Adélie penguins. Since 1988 they have been listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.