Adélie penguins

Penguins in their natural habitat.

Adélie penguins

Penguins don’t like to go into the water alone. They wait at the edge for a group to form and then go in together.

Penguin tracks

Adélie penguin tracks in the snow. Notice the track of the tail as the penguin waddles along.

Adélie penguin

These penguins can leap upto 6 feet out of the water.

Adélie penguin

Toboggoning is faster than walking.

Adélie penguin

Smooth head feathers mean this penguin is relaxed.

Mated Pair

Each mated pair have a unique song they use to recognise each other and locate each other in a large colony.

Territory dispute

A penguin’s nest site is his territory. When other penguins get too close or try to claim the site, there can be a fight.

Too close

These penguins nests are too close to each other. If they can reach each other without leaving the nest they will attack.

Too close

When nests are too close to each other.

Penguin Family

Returning adults reaffirm the pair bond by singing their unique greeting. They will soon trade place on the nest.

Adélie penguin

Head feathers standing up like this means this penguins is ready for action. Watch out!

Summer storms

This penguin sat still during a snow storm and allowed the snow to build up around him.

Summer storm

Notice how this penguin used his body to protect his chicks from the snow storm.

Summer storm

This penguin is on small chicks and allowed falling snow to build up around him. Adults can climb out of the hole, chicks can not.

Summer storms

If the snow fall is light, the penguins can manage. All these penguins are on nests with eggs or small chicks.

Summer storm

Notice how this penguin protects her small chick from the storm. Her back is to the wind.

Summer storm

This penguin is on a nest. She is protecting her eggs from the storm.

South polar skua

These aggressive birds live near the penguin colony and predate the eggs and small chicks.

South polar skua

Skuas hunt in pairs and will go after larger penguin chicks.

South polar skua

Adélie penguins defend their eggs and chicks from skuas by nesting in groups.

South polar skua

These birds also eat seal placentas, fish and carrion.

South polar skua

On the attack

Adélie penguin chick

Two month old chick loosing his warm fluffy chick feathers and growing warm and dry adult feathers.

Adélie chick

First sign of molting. Notice the adult feathers beginning to grow on this 6 week old chick.

Adélie chicks

These four-five week old chicks are too big for the nest. They form a crech to stay warm and protect from skuas.

Sleeping chicks

Full of food on a wam day these Adélie chicks are sleeping betwenn meals.

Feeding

Adult Adélie penguin is regurgitating krill to its chick.

Chick chase

Adélie chicks will chase any adult coming from the ocean begging for food. Adults only feed theri own.

Adélie chick

Thick warm feathers keep these chicks warm when the adults are not around.

Adélie chicks

A weel fed chick. Notice the full stomach.

Adélie chicks

Approximately three week old chicks

Weigh bridge

The devise records the weight, and the coming and going of adults from their nest.

Adélie chicks

These chicks are about 4 weeks old.

Adélie chicks

A few days old, these chicks drop much of their food. The pink pile is krill.

First meal

A one day old chick getting its first meal.

Newly hatched

Adélie chick a few hours old.

Penguin chick

THis chick did not hatch. Notice his large beak for breaking free.

Hatching

First chick is one day old. Second chick is hatching.

Hatching

First chick is hatching

Egg

Adélie penguin nest and egg.

Adélie nest with egg.

Nesting group

Notice the distance between nests. Close enough to help defind off skuas, far enough to not reach their neighbors.

Penguin nest

Adélie penguins do not want to soil their nest. The white marks are poop squirts.

Penguin nest

Mated pair with first egg.

Brood patch

Featherless patch just big enough to hold 2 eggs against the warm skin.

Adélie penguin nest

Nests are made of rocks, the only building material in Antarctica.

Adélie penguin

The only tool penguins have is their beak. Each rock must be carried one at a time.

Adélie nest

White lines are poop squirts. Penguins do not like to spoil their nest.

Adélie nest

Up against a rock is a great nesting site. Hard for the skuas to get the eggs or chicks.

Crabeater seal on an ice floe

This seal does not bother the penguins, but does compete for the same food, krill and small fish.

Weddell seal resting.

Weddell seal on the ice.

Weddell seals resting on the ice.

These seals spend much of their time resting on the ice.

Weddell seal pup.

Crabeater seal. These seals do not bother the penguins.

Weddell seal face. Compare to the leopard seal.

Leopard seal on the ice. Can’t hurt the penguin here.

Leopard seal, notice the big mouth.

South polar skua on the hunt

South polar skua.

South polar skua on eggs.

South polar skua with penguin egg.

South polar skua pair with chick.

Storm petrel.

Storm petrel in flight. Notice black eyes.

Orca family.

Orca spy hoping.

Orca mother and calf.

Orca in a breathing hole.

Emperor penguins on a walk-a-bout.

Emperor and Adelie penguins.

Emperor and Adelie penguin.

Feathers

Penguin feathers have top layer to keep the bird dry and fluffly bottom layer for warmth.

Feathers

Thick layer of feathers keep these birds warm.

Feathers

Feathers appear black but have blue tips.

Feathers

Gathering oil from the gland to aid in preening.

Feathers

Preening helps keep feathers clean and waterproof.

Feathers

Transferring oil from his tail to his wing for preening.

Feathers

Using the wing to rub oil on his head.

Feathers

Penguins lose all their feathers at once, every year.

Feathers

Top of wing. Notice how many, and how small the feathers are. Compare this to a bird that flys through the air.

Feathers

Notice the very small feathers on the penguin’s wing.

Feathers

Fluffed feathers make this penguin look fat.

Feathers

Sleek feathers make this penguin appear thin.

Body Form

Streamline body form increases swim speed.

Body Form

Penguins need to come up for air when they swim. Notice his mouth is open.

Body Form

Adélie penguin tail is shaped for smooth swimming.

Eyes

Penguins have good eyesight.

Mouth

Strong beak for carrying rocks and catching food.

Mouth

Soft mouth parts move food to the stomach.

Mouth

Penguin tongues have soft projections to move food towards the stomach.

Body Form

A penguin’s wing is shaped like the fin on a dolphin, designed for swimming.

Feet

These birds have strong feet and long strong nails to climb on rocks and ice.

Legs

Adélie penguin. Notice how short the legs appear to be. Most of their legs are inside their body to keep warm.

Legs

Notice how long penguin legs are. They are strong walkers and go long distances.

Feathers

Featherless part of the penguin’s body keep the eggs against warm skin.

Feet

Adélie penguins hold eggs on their feet to keep them warm.

Feet

Adélie penguins have strong feet and nails for climbing on rock and ice.

Feet

Adélie penguin feet are padded to keep from slipping on the ice.

Eyes

Adélie penguin white eye ring.

An Adélie and Emperor penguin discssing the day.

Emperor penguins usually do not come onto land, but this one decided to visit the Adélie colony.

Penguins swimming

These penguins are coming ashore.

Adélie penguin

A perfect dive into the water

Adélie penguin

When penguin neighbors get too close.

Penguin chick

A sleeping Adélie chick

Penguin nest

A lovely penguin nest. Notice the bowl shape which keeps the eggs from rolling away.

Penguin nest

Nests are made of rocks because that is all there is in Antarctica. This is a very large nest.

Nesting group

A classic nesting group. All these penguins are laying on thier nests and on eggs.

Penguin chick

Not all chicks are the same color.

Adélie penguin

Beautiful Adélie penguin on the ice.

Penguin chick

The chicks know how to keep warm by sitting on the adult’s feet.

Adélie penguin

An Adélie chick begging for food. This chick is almost as big as the adult.

Adélie penguin

Jumping into the water

Adélie penguin swimming.

Notice the penguin has his mouth open. These birds are air breathers just like us.

Asleep

An Adélie penguin chick asleep.

Adélie penguin tracks in the snow

Fresh snow makes it easy for penguins to toboggon on their bellies. Much faster than walking.

Adélie penguin chick

A well fed chick. It requires 60 pounds of food to raise one chick

Adélie penguin

Adélie penguins can raise their head feather like parrots. This one is showing disturbance.

Adélie penguin

Yes penguins do bite

Emperor and Adélie penguin

An Adélie penguin escorting an Emperor away from his nesting area. Emperors rarely come onto land.

Adélie penguin

Notice how pink his under-wings are. This bird has just come from the ocean where his wings were working hard to swim.

Adélie penguin on a nest.

First chick is about 2 days old. Second egg is just starting to hatch.

Adélie penguin.

This penguin is jumping between ice floes. No, they do not always make it.

Adélie penguin fledgling

Notice his white chin. He will have a black chin after he molts and becomes a 1 year old.