Chinstrap Penguin
Classification
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Sphenisciformes
Family - Spheniscidae
Genus - Pygoscelis
Species - antarcticus
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Sphenisciformes
Family - Spheniscidae
Genus - Pygoscelis
Species - antarcticus
Common Name
Chinstrap Penguin
MorphologyOn land, they build circular nests from stones and lay two eggs, which are incubated by both the male and the female for 6 day shifts. The chicks hatch after about 37 days, and have fluffy gray backs with white bellies. The chicks stay in the nest for about 20–30 days before they go to join a creche. At around 50–60 days old, they molt gaining their adult feathers and go to sea. |
BiologyChinstrap penguins can grow up to 27 inches in length, and weigh about 13.2 lbs; However, their weight can drop as low as 6.6 lbs depending on the breeding cycle. Males are both larger and heavier than females. The adult flippers are black with a white edge with the inner sides of the flippers being white. The face is also white extending behind the eyes, which are reddish-brown. The chin and throat are white as well, while the bill is black. The legs and feet are pink. The black-and-white plumage helps camouflage it in the water from predators such as seals. When seen from above, the black back blends into the dark water below, while the bird's underside blends into the sunshine above when seen from below. It is an example of countershading.
|
Distribution Map
Importance: Economical and Ecological
The Chinstrap Penguin has been put on the IUCN's Red List of Endangered Species under the "Least Concern" conservation status. In 2004, two male chinstrap penguins named Roy and Silo in Central Park Zoo, New York City, formed a pair-bond and took turns trying to “hatch” a rock; this was substituted by a keeper for a fertile egg, and the pair subsequently hatched and raised the chick. Penguins, by their nature, hatch eggs and are social creatures. A children's book, And Tango Makes Three, was written based on this event.
Interesting facts
- It can swim up to 50 miles a day for food.
- The Chinstrap Penguin can withstand the freezing waters because of its tightly packed feathers.
- Their thick blubber provides perfect insulation for them.
- Chin Strap Penguins are considered the most aggressive of all the penguin species.
- It has a typical lifespan of 15-20 years.
Vocabulary
Porpoising- Move through the water like a porpoise, alternately rising above it and submerging
Creche- A group of young animals (as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults.
Molt- Shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.
Countershading- Protective coloration of some animals in which parts normally in shadow are light and those exposed to the sky are dark.
Caisson Disease- Decompression sickness: pain resulting from rapid change in pressure.
Creche- A group of young animals (as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults.
Molt- Shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.
Countershading- Protective coloration of some animals in which parts normally in shadow are light and those exposed to the sky are dark.
Caisson Disease- Decompression sickness: pain resulting from rapid change in pressure.