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2

Gentoo Penguin

(Pygoscelis papua)
Size: 50-90 cm
Weight: 5-8.5 kg (male), 4.5-8.2 kg (female)

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Gentoo Penguin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up portrait of a Gentoo Penguin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Frontal view of a Gentoo Penguin (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Near-frontal view of Gentoo Penguin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Dorsal view of a Gentoo Penguin (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Gentoo Penguin telling the photographer to get out of the way (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Gentoo Penguin waving with one of its flippers (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Gentoo Penguins swimming back to shore, presumably bringing food (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Direct comparison between a Gentoo Penguin back, and an Adelie Penguin, front (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Breeding information

Breeding season: ca. Dec - Feb Eggs: 2 Incubation period: 34 -36 days Fledging age: ca. 30 days

Gentoo Penguin chicks leave their nests at about 30 days of age. They then form "creches" or rookeries, before they go out to sea at an age of ca. 80-100 days.

Nest building: Female & male Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Male and female Gentoo Penguins incubate alternatingly, each bird staying on the nest one day at a time, while the other leaves in search of food.

Overview of part of a large Gentoo Penguin breeding colony (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Walking tracks of Gentoo Penguins to their breeding colony (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Walking track of Gentoo Penguins to a small breeding colony; note the steepness of the slope close to the water's edge (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Bowl Material: Rocks Height above ground: N/A

Gentoo Penguin nests can be substantial rock piles, formed into a shallow depression into which the eggs are laid.

Gentoo Penguins on their rock nests (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Gentoo Penguins on their rock nests (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 65 x 55 mm Colour: White, off-white Shape: Oval

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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