The gentoo penguin ( JEN-too) (Pygoscelis papua ) is a penguin species (or possibly a species complex) in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin (P. adeliae ) and the chinstrap penguin (P. antarcticus ). The earliest scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a type locality in the Falkland Islands. The species calls in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting, which the bird emits with its head thrown back.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Flightless birdFlightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostri...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Gentoo is the most colorful species among brush-tailed penguins. On the top of its head, the animal has a white thin stripe, connecting with a wide stripe (which is the widest at the eyes) and forming a triangle. The Gentoo penguin has orange-pink feet, bright orange beak, black back and white under parts. The undersides of their flippers are colored in pink. The Gentoo penguin is the only orange-billed species, having the white stripe above their eyes. The penguins have white patches, located either on the top or on the sides of their head. The plumage of newborn hatchlings is silvery-gray. During the first week of their life, their undersides, from the chin down, are colored in white. Young penguins lack these white eye stripes, found in adults. Unlike adults, they are colored somewhat duller: the overall plumage is grey instead of black and the under parts of the flippers are dull pink in color.
The Gentoo penguins are typically found along the coastlines of the Antarctic Peninsula, sub-Antarctic islands and the Falkland Islands in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Gentoo penguins are diurnal and social birds, breeding in colonies and remaining together for the rest of the year. They typically live and breed in same areas. These penguins are very shy and do not tend to defend their territories. When encountering a predator, they will simply retreat. However, they become extremely territorial, when it comes to their nests. Every year, these birds undergo molting, which usually takes place right after fledge and departure of the chicks, lasting 25 days. During the molt, they don’t go to forage at the sea. They fast, losing around 200 grams every day. For this reason, before molting, during January, adult individuals travel to the sea to forage, staying there for about 55 days.
The Gentoos are carnivorous (piscivorous) birds. Their usual diet consists of fish, cephalopods as well as crustaceans such as krill or shrimp.
Generally, these birds are seasonally monogamous, though some pairs may remain together throughout the life. They congregate into large breeding colonies of up to 2.000 pairs at a breeding site. As the breeding season begins, the pair constructs a nest. The penguins usually build their nests at a distance of about 1 meter from each another. The female lays 2 eggs from June to the end of November. Both the male and the female participate in the incubation process, taking turns. Incubation lasts about 34-36 days, after which the chicks hatch out, staying in the nest for the following 30 days, until they form creches. At about 80-100 days old, the young undergo their first molt, gaining the sub-adult plumage, after which they go out to the sea. Typically, they first breed at 3-4 years of age, though they can occasionally breed earlier - at 2 years old.
Primary concerns to this species include pollution and association with fisheries. On the other hand, human disturbance in the form of scientific studies is among other threats. Thus, penguin colonies on Kerguelen Island and Possession Island have been threatened by scientific bases around the area.
The overall population of the Gentoo penguin is up to 774,000 mature individuals. On the IUCN Red List, the species is classified as Least Concern (LC) with stable population.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...