Gentoo Penguin Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin

Scientific Classification

Common Name
gentoo penguin
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Sphenisciformes
Family
Spheniscidae
Genus Species
Pygoscelis papua

Fast Facts

Description
Gentoo penguins have orange-red bills and feet that set them apart from their close relatives, the Adélies and chinstraps. Gentoos also have a white "cap" extending from eye to eye over the top of their heads.
Size
61 to 76 cm (24 to 30 in.)
Weight
5.5 to 6.4 kg (12 to 14 lbs.)
Diet
Primarily krill and small fish species
Incubation
34 to 36 days; after hatching, parents brood chicks for an additional 25–35 days
Life Span
15 to 20 years
Range
Circumpolar in subantarctic and Antarctic waters; avoiding pack ice
Habitat
Colonies can be inland or coastal on Antarctic and subantarctic island and peninsulas. Tend to breed on ice-free ground on beaches, in valleys, on inland hills, and on cliff tops.
Population
774,000 individuals
Status 
IUCN: Least Concern
CITES: Not Listed
USFWS: Not Listed

Fun Facts

During deep dives, gentoo penguins reduce their heart rate from 80 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) down to 20 bpm.

Gentoo penguins use nesting materials ranging from pebbles and molted feathers in Antarctica to vegetation on subantarctic islands.

Gentoos are the third largest penguin, following the emperor and king.

For more information about penguins, explore the Penguin InfoBook.


Ecology and Conservation

All 18 species of penguin are legally protected from hunting and egg collecting. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 makes it illegal to harm, or in any way interfered with, a penguin or its eggs. Every penguin specimen collected with a permit must by approved by and reported to the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR).


Bibliography

Penguins - Third Edition. SeaWorld Education Department, 1996.

Coats, Judith. Penguins: Flightless Birds of the Southern Hemisphere. SeaWorld Education Department, 2001.

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 12 March 2020.