Moulting gentoo penguin
|
Vital Statistics
Scientific name: Pygoscelis papua
Weight: 5-8 kg variable throughout the season and different between males and females
Height: ~75 cm
Breeding age: Can start at 2 years of age, but most birds start at 3-4 years
Breeding frequency: Annual
Breeding season: Late September to March
Age to fledging: About 100 days
Longevity: Not known but probably 20+ years
Name Derivation: Pygoscelis means “rump-legged” and “Papua” is the Malay name for New Guinea. There have never been any penguins in New Guinea though…
Foraging Statistics
What do I eat? Crustaceans (e.g. krill) and fish
What eats me? Fur seals, leopard seals, skuas, giant petrels
Range trip time: A few hours to a few days
Range trip length: Usually less than 40 km but can be up to 100 km
Depth of water where foraging: About 200 m, the penguins though don’t dive that deep. Most dives go to 70 – 100 m.
Extreme dive depth/time: 166 m, a bit more than 3 minutes
Distribution & Abundance
Distribution: Circumpolar, breeding colonies are located on most subantarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Abundance: Approximately 300,000 pairs in 1993
Population Status: Not globally threatened, some populations appear to be decreasing.
General Comments
Gentoo penguin colonies are rather mobile from year to year, with their locations shifting about significantly. When they decide to breed on flat ground, elephant seals can be a problem, so it is not unusual to see gentoo penguins breeding on the tops of small hills along the coastline. On many islands, gentoo penguins are present all year, including at Heard Island.
More information can be found on other Heard Island penguin species by following the links below.
