Gentoo Penguin

Name: Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)

Height: 70 - 90 cm (27 - 35 inches)

Weight: 4.5 - 8.5 kg (10 - 19 pounds)

Location: Antarctica and Sub Antarctic Islands

Conservation status: Least concern

Diet: Crustaceans (krill), fish, squid

Appearance: Black back and head, white belly, white stripe running eye-to-eye across the top of the head, reddish bill

How do gentoo penguins feed?

Gentoo penguins can make up to 450 dives daily to forage for food. They dive as deep as 200 metres (650 feet) and stay underwater for up to seven minutes. Although they prefer staying close to shore, they have been spotted as far as 26 km (16 miles) out to sea.

Are gentoo penguins social?

Gentoo penguins tend to stay within their colonies even beyond the mating season, though colonies in more southern regions may disperse more.

How fast can gentoo penguins swim?

Gentoo penguins are the fastest-swimming penguins, reaching speeds of up to 36 kph (22.4 mph).

What are gentoo penguin mating rituals like?

Gentoo penguins choose shallow coastal areas for breeding, building nests among tufts of grass or rocky ground. Their colonies spread across many sub-Antarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

They use stones to form nests, and fights over these stones can become quite nasty. Stones are even a gift that male gentoo penguins sometimes give to females when wooing them.

Egg-laying times vary depending on location. In warmer areas, this can occur as early as June, but in colder areas, it is delayed until December. Gentoo penguins are monogamous and have up to three breeding seasons, usually finding new partners after that. Males attract females with gifts of stones and by "trumpeting" skyward.

After breeding, females lay two eggs, each weighing about 130g (4.6 ounces). Parents take turns incubating the eggs, which hatch after about 35 days. Chicks stay in the nest for another 30 days before forming crèches for protection and warmth.

Gentoo chicks join these crèches with other chicks, helping them stay warm and protect against predators. After about a month, chicks grow feathers and venture out to sea.

How long do gentoo penguins live?

Gentoo penguins live about 15 to 20 years in the wild.

How many gentoo penguins are there today?

The gentoo penguin population is estimated to be around 774,000 mature individuals, last assessed by the IUCN in 2018.

Do gentoo penguins have any natural predators?

Large seabirds like skuas and giant petrels steal gentoo eggs and prey on chicks. Gentoo penguins must also watch for leopard seals and orcas.

Eight fascinating gentoo penguin facts

• The origin of the term "gentoo" for these penguins is unclear. The term was also used in the 1630s as an Anglo-Indian term to distinguish Indian Hindus from Indian Muslims, possibly derived from the Portuguese word "gentio," meaning gentile.
• The genus Pygoscelis means "rump-legged" and includes three brush-tailed penguins known for their long tails that sweep back and forth as they waddle.
• Gentoo penguins are the third-largest penguin species.
• Unlike some other penguin species, gentoos do not have a yearly migration cycle.
• The weight and height of gentoos increase the farther they live from the Antarctic Peninsula.
• Gentoo penguins only breed in areas free of snow and ice.
• If the previous year's nesting area is covered with waste or too trampled, gentoo penguins will choose a new nesting area along the coastline.
• Gentoo penguins are the only penguin species along the Antarctic Peninsula that is expanding in both numbers and distribution.