Description: Medium-sized penguin that reaches 70 cm in height and weighs between 2 to 6 kg. Adults have a black head, throat, back, axillary region, and tail; the ventral area is white; a short reddish-dark to blackish bill with a feathered base; dark brown iris with a conspicuous white periocular area; pale pink legs with darkened soles and tarsal region. Juveniles have a white throat; their bill and periocular area are dark. Chicks have down feathers that are light gray to soot-colored.
Geographic Distribution: Circumpolar, mostly restricted to Antarctica.
Habitat: Coasts, coastal waters, and ice floes. Marine and pelagic during the non-breeding season, where they travel further north in search of food; during the breeding season, they inhabit rocky, ice-free areas.
Behavior: Unlike other penguin species, adults molt on ice floes; after reproduction, individuals move to areas rich in food.
Diet: Primarily crustaceans (krill), and to a lesser extent fish, amphipods, and cephalopods, which are caught through pursuit diving.
Reproduction: Colonial; they arrive at the colonies between September and October; egg-laying occurs in November; the nest is a small depression covered with pebbles; they lay two eggs, although if the initial clutch is lost, they may lay a replacement clutch of a single egg; both sexes incubate for 30-43 days. Chicks gather in nurseries at approximately 15 days. Individuals reach sexual maturity at around 8 years of age.
Threats and Conservation Status: Classified as "Least Concern (NT)" by Birdlife International. Populations in the Antarctic Peninsula are declining, while colonies in the Ross Sea region have increased, leading to a rise in the global population.
REFERENCES:Ainley, D., Russell, J., Jenouvrier, S., Woehler, E., Lyver, P. O., Fraser, W. R. and Kooyman, G. L. (2010). Antarctic penguin response to habitat change as Earth’s troposphere reaches 2°C above preindustrial levels. Ecological Monographs. 80(1): 49–66.
Lynch, H. J., Naveen, R., Trathan, P. N. and Fagan, W. F. (2012). Spatially integrated assessment reveals widespread changes in penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula. Ecology. 93(6): 1367–1377.
Martínez, I., D. A. Christie, F. Jutglar, E. Garcia, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.adepen1.01
Savigny, C. (2021). Aves del Atlántico Sudoccidental & Antártida. Ediciones LBN.
Author of this compilation:
María Alejandra Sosa - 24/03/2025