They are the third largest species of penguin, known for their uniquely interesting appearance and diving abilities.
They belong to the Spheniscidae family.
As one of the larger species of penguin, the Gentoo can reach height of up to 30 inches tall and can weigh between 8 – 14 lbs. They have bright orange/reddish beaks and very distinctive white patches above their eyes. Their physical appearance is designed to help them survive in the cold Antarctic environments, with waterproof feathers to keep them warm and dry and a streamlined body to help with swimming and diving.
Gentoo penguins live in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions including islands such as the Falklands and Prince Edward. They breed on islands and coastal areas.
They are often found in rocky areas and will tend to build their nests in burrows or among vegetation. Outside of the breeding season they can be found at sea. They will often have to travel long distances to feed and so their habitat can change depending on the time of the year.
Gentoo will largely feed on krill, which are small shrimp-like crustaceans. They are also known to eat fish and squid. Known for being effective foragers, the Gentoo can dive to depths of up to 600 feet to catch prey. However, their feeding behaviour and habits can be affected by human interaction including overfishing.
On land, adult penguins have no natural predators, apart from occasionally humans who will harvest them for their skin and oil. However, in the water penguins can have a number of predators to avoid including leopard seals, orcas and sea lions that live in the same waters.
There are approximately 380,000 breeding pairs of Gentoo left in the wild. Around 100,000 of these pairs occupy the Falkland Islands with other population spots including the islands of South Georgia, the Antarctic Peninsula, Croset, Macquarie, South Orkney, Heard, Kerguelen, South Sandwich and Prince Edward.
Gentoo penguins have been known to hold their breath for up to 7 minutes. This will depend, however, on many factors including age, health and water temperature.
They can swim up to 22 mph! They can also reach extreme depths.
Absolutely! They form large colonies used for both breeding and nesting. They also mate for life and males and females take turns incubating the eggs and looking after the chicks. A monogamous species, meaning that they only have one partner at a time, they will often return to the same breeding location each season.
Gentoo penguins are not classified as Endangered, however they are Near Threatened as listed on the IUCN Red List. The biggest threats to the Gentoo population is habitat loss and human interference. With tourism, fishing and oil exploration occurring near the areas that they live in, this impacts breeding and their ability to forage for food.
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