Penguin Village: Facts About Gentoo Penguins

Of all the penguin species the Gentoo (pronounced, jen too) penguin is the most geographically widespread. The largest populations are found in colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-antarctic islands though they are not as numerous as other species on these islands such as the Macaroni penguin.

Gentoo penguins -

Author Liam Quinn from Canada -
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The Kerguelen Islands, South Georgia and especially the Falkland Islands all have significantly large breeding colonies. Gentoos belong to the same brush-tailed genus of Pygoscelis as Adelie and Chinstrap penguins. Over the last century they have fallen victim to human activities losing numbers and habitat. However due to recent conservation efforts their numbers appear to be more stable.

Distinguishing Features

Gentoos are smaller than Emperor and King penguins but larger than their cousins the Adelie and Chinstrap penguins. Gentoos can be recognised from Chinstraps and Adelies by their brightly coloured orangey-red bills and striking patches of white behind their eyes. As they walk their tail feathers stick out stiffly and when in the sea they are easy to see as their tails stick up like a flag.

Diet

Gentoos like to hunt close to the breeding colony which helps them to feed their chicks easily. They hunt mainly fish, krill and squid with males seeming to prefer to eat fish while females show preference for krill.

Gentoos are known to cooperate with each other while hunting, gathering in their hundreds to form rafts to help catch prey. Although they can dive to about 330 feet most prey is caught using pursuit dives lasting about 30 seconds.

Breeding

Gentoos build round nests on uninhabited, rocky shores out of what ever materials can be found though they appear to prefer vegetation and grass. They will fight over stones and steal material from other nests.

The female lays two eggs in September or October. Usually the second egg is laid three days after the first and is often smaller. Both parents care for the eggs until they hatch about 5 weeks after.
The availability of food and the presence of predators will determine the survival of the chicks. Preferential treatment will be given to the strongest chick if food is scarce and the weakest may well not survive.

After about a month the chick will leave the nest to join creche or nursery group for warmth and protection while its parents search for food. When the chicks have grown their adult plumage usually after about 3 months they will be ready to leave the creche and head for the sea and hunt independently.

Predators

Birds such as falcons, gulls and sheathbills will steal eggs or prey upon chicks and young birds on land and elephant seal crush nests and eggs as they lumber along. In the sea Leopard seals, Sea Lions and Killer whales are their main threat.