- Pygoscelis papua
Identification
76–81 cm (29.9-31.9 in)
Recognised by large size and head pattern
Blue-black above, white below. Head black with white bar over crown
Bill black and orange, legs orange.
Variations
Two-three races recognised differing in minor bill and leg measurements.
Distribution
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 430S in South America.
Vagrants recorded in Tasmania and New Zealand.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
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.
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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Gentoo Penguin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 22 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gentoo_Penguin
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