- Pygoscelis papua
Identification
76–81 cm (29.9-31.9 in)
Recognised by large size and unique head pattern. Standing about 2.5 feet, the Gentoo is the third largest species of Penguin after Emperor and King. It is a member of the "brush-tailed" penguin group which have relatively long tails.
It is blue-black above, white below. Head is black with white bar over crown.
Bill is black and orange, legs orange.
Variations
Two races differ slightly in size as well as in bill and leg measurements.
Distribution
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Saunders Island, Falkland Islands, 2 March 2018
Circumpolar in the subantarctic.
Breeds on the Antarctic Peninsula and Staten Island, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, the South Shetland, South Orkney and South Sandwich Islands, Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard and Macquarie Islands.
Pelagic range not fully known but many remain close to breeding range, others wander northwards to about 43°S in South America.
Vagrants recorded in Tasmania and New Zealand and once in South Africa.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Photo © by JCL
Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula, February 2008
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- P. p. papua: Larger and longer billed.
- Sub-antarctic regions south to ca 60°S
- P. p. ellsworthi: Smaller, shorter stubbier flippers, feet and bill.
- Antarctic Peninsula to South Sandwich Islands
An additional proposed subspecies taeniata (from Macquarie, Heard, Kerguelen and Marion Islands) is merged with nominate.
Habitat
Breeds on remote flat or rocky islands, otherwise at sea but seen close to breeding sites throughout the year.
Behaviour
Breeding
Colonial breeder, August-March, nest is a bulky structure of vegetation or small stones. Two white eggs laid between late-September and mid-October, incubated by both sexes for 33 days. Young fed by both sexes.
Diet
Prey captured by pursuit diving. Their diet includes krill especially southern populations. Northern populations take more fish and different crustaceans.
Vocalisation
Highly vocal. Contact call, a short, low, trumpeting caw. Display call is a loud trumpeting ah, aha, aha, aha, e with head pointing upwards. Also gives a series of raaaarr notes interspersed with higher, more squeaky trumpet notes. A soft repeated hiss is associated with bowing display.
Movements
Partial migrant; subantarctic populations tend to be sedentary, while those of Antarctic Peninsula are migratory.
Conservation Status
Up through 2016, this species was considered "near threatened" by the IUCN because of steep declines at some colonies, particularly South Georgia. However recent data suggest populations are largely stable, leading to a reassessment of its status. It is now ranked as "least concern."
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Lepage D. (2020) Gentoo_Penguin in Avibase - The World Bird Database. Retrieved 26May 2020
- Martínez, I., D. A. Christie, F. Jutglar, E.F.J. Garcia, and C.J. Sharpe (2020). Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua), 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.genpen1.01
- Shirihai, H. 2008. Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife: Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Princeton & Oxford: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691136660
- Howell, S. N. G., and Zufelt, K. (2019) Oceanic Birds of the World: A Photo Guide. Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-691-17501-0
- Sinclair, I., P.A.R. Hockey, W. Tarboton (2002). Birds of South Africa. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford. ISBN 0-691-09682-1
- BirdLife International. 2018. Pygoscelis papua. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697755A132600694. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697755A132600694.en. Downloaded on 26 May 2020.
- Newtoff, K. 2011. "Pygoscelis papua" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed 25 May 2020 at http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pygoscelis_papua/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Gentoo Penguin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin
External Links
