How penguins incubate their eggs. Penguins are unusual birds

Emperor penguin males reach a height of 160 cm and weigh an average of 35-40 kg, but the maximum weight of a male can reach 60 kg. Females reach 114 cm in height and 28-32 kg in weight.

As a seabird, the emperor penguin hunts exclusively at sea. It feeds on fish, squid and krill. They hunt in groups. These groups swim right into the school of fish and quickly attack prey in it, pecking at everything that appears in front of them. They eat small prey right in the water, and with larger prey they must swim to the surface to butcher it. When hunting, they overcome long distances and reach speeds of up to 3-6 km / h and depths of up to 35 meters. If necessary, they can spend up to 15 minutes under water. The more light, the deeper they dive, since their main guide when hunting is sight, not hearing or echo sounder.

Emperor penguin colonies are located in natural shelters: behind cliffs and large ice floes with the obligatory presence of open water areas. The largest colonies number up to ten thousand individuals. Often emperor penguins move lying on their belly, working with their paws and wings. In order to keep warm, they gather in dense groups, inside which the temperature can reach +35 degrees at an ambient temperature of -20 °C. At the same time, the penguins constantly move from the edge of the group to the center and back, so that everyone is on an equal footing. About two months a year they spend at sea, the rest of the time is spent on procreation. The emperor penguin, despite its proud appearance and name, is a very cautious and even shy bird. Many attempts to ring it were unsuccessful, because when a potential danger approached, such a panic began that the penguins scattered, throwing eggs and chicks.

Emperor penguins begin to breed in winter, in May - June, when the temperature in their habitats drops below -50 ° C, and the wind blows at speeds up to 200 km / h. This is due to the fact that emperor penguin chicks develop very slowly. Emperor penguin nesting colonies are located on coastal ice, occasionally on the continent. The colonies are located in places with the most favorable microclimate, having protection from the winds blowing at this time of the year from the middle of the mainland, for example, among cliffs, glaciers or in uneven ice. But there should also be open polynyas, crevasses, or areas of ice-free sea near the colony. This is necessary for birds to feed and feed the chicks. In severe frosts, penguins huddle in close groups, unlike, for example, Adélie penguins, which keep warm in pairs in a strictly limited nesting area.

Emperor penguins stay off the coast of Antarctica for about 10 months. The first birds appear on the nesting grounds at the end of the Antarctic summer (mid-March-mid-April). Here the birds unite in pairs, accompanying this process with screams and frequent fights. This is how a colony is formed. The maximum colony size is 10 thousand birds, the minimum is 300 birds.

Then the birds calm down, stand quietly in pairs during the day, gather in groups at night, forming a "turtle". In May-early June, the female lays a single egg, with the help of her beak rolls it onto her paws and covers it from above with a skin fold on the underside of the belly, which is called the pouch. The appearance of the egg is accompanied by loud cries of the parents. Emperor penguin egg weight 450 g, size 12x9 cm; the average egg temperature is 31.4°. After a few hours, the male, who also has a pouch, takes care of the egg. The female, having starved for 45-50 days, goes to feed at sea. Males, on the other hand, with any deterioration in the weather, gather in dense groups - about 10 birds per 1 m², which helps to save the life of future offspring. At the same time, approximately 4-8% of non-breeding individuals are present in the colony. The duration of incubation of eggs is 62-66 days, sometimes up to 100 days.

The females return from feeding and at the same time the chicks emerge from the eggs. Each female finds her husband by voice. Males, having starved for 3 months and having lost 40% of their body weight, give them eggs or already hatched chicks and go to feed themselves. The average weight of a hatched chick is 315 g. If the chick hatched before the female returned from the sea, then the father feeds him with "milk" - a special juice that the penguin's stomach and esophagus produces, or rather the esophageal gland. This juice contains a glycolipoprotein substance, which has about 28% fat, about 60% protein. On this food, the chick can hold out for several days. Females feed the chicks for about three weeks on semi-digested food, gruel from krill and fish, stocked up on a journey by sea, and the same milk. At the age of five weeks, the emperor penguin chicks no longer fit in the bag and go to the so-called "kindergartens", where they spend time huddled tightly to each other. Adult penguins protect them from attacks by predators - petrels and skuas. Parents find their chick among hundreds of others and feed only him. During this period, the chick can eat up to 6 kg of fish at a time. The nestling feeding period ends in December - January, at the height of the Antarctic summer. The molting period lasts for 30-35 days, during which the birds do not eat anything, sit still and lose a lot of weight. The chicks will become capable of swimming only by January. Then adults and young birds go to sea until next spring.

Emperor penguins have few enemies, and the natural age of these birds can be up to 25 years. The only predators that kill adult emperor penguins in or near water are killer whales and leopard seals. On ice floes, it sometimes happens that emperor penguin chicks become the prey of skuas or giant petrels. It is from the latter that the greatest danger comes, since it is the cause of the death of up to a third of emperor penguin chicks. For adults, these birds are not dangerous.

king penguin
king penguin
(Aptenodytes patagonicus)

Breeds on islands near Tierra del Fuego: South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Marion, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen (island), Heard, Macquarie (island) Macquarie.

The body length of the king penguin is from 91 to 96 cm.

King penguins nest in colonies on hard surfaces, mostly rocks. The male, ready to breed, walks through the colony, shaking his head so that the females can see the orange spots on his head, indicating puberty. From time to time, the male utters invocative cries while raising his beak to the sky. An interested female approaches the male. Sometimes there are fierce fights for females during which males violently beat each other with wings. When the female makes her choice, a beautiful dance begins. The penguins either raise their heads to the sky and at the same time scream, then drop them, as if in impotence. The birds gently touch each other with their beaks and put their heads on the partner's shoulders and from the outside it looks like the penguins are embracing. When the dance ends, the female lies down on the ground, assuming an inviting posture. The male climbs on her back and the birds mate. Mating lasts approximately 4-6 seconds, after which the male moves out of the female. The dance and mating are repeated many times.

Eggs are laid in December-January, with one egg per clutch. The female lays an egg on her paws and covers it with a fold on her belly. Then the male joins in incubation. The duration of incubation is 54 days. characteristic feature breeding of king penguins is that chicks survive mainly from eggs laid in November and December. The remaining chicks, from later clutches, do not have time to grow up and die in winter. Adult birds whose chicks have died start laying eggs earlier next time. At the same time, birds whose chicks have successfully grown the next time they start laying eggs later, and their next chicks do not survive.

Rockhopper Penguin
Western Rockhopper Penguin
(Eudyptes chrysocome)

It lives on the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but is sometimes found further north, on the southern tip of Africa and South America, as well as on the southern coast of New Zealand.

Reaches 45-58 cm in height, weight 2-3 kg.

Breeds in extensive colonies on the barren and very harsh islands of Tristan da Cunha and Heard Island. These penguins are very noisy and have an evil disposition, attacking anyone and everything that threatens them. Arranges nests on ledges of rocks, coastal slopes, often digs holes. Clutch contains 2-3 eggs. In a noisy and crowded colony, the small first egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks gather in the nursery, but return to the nest when the parents call them to feed them. Chicks grow up quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.

Feeds on krill.

Northern Rockhopper Penguin
Northern Rockhopper Penguin
(Eudyptes moseleyi)

Over 99% of these penguins nest on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Feeds on krill, crustaceans, squid, octopus and fish.

It breeds in large nesting colonies. These colonies can be located both near the sea and on steep slopes. Sometimes nests in the depths of the islands.

Thick-billed penguin
Fiordland Penguin
(Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)

It lives on the Stewart and Solander Islands adjacent to the south of New Zealand, as well as in New Zealand itself on the southwestern coast of the South Island.

Body length 55-60 cm with a weight of 2 to 5 kg (average - 3 kg).

They forage for food in coastal waters, feeding on crustaceans, cephalopods and small fish. During the breeding season they migrate from the coast, some nests can be located at an altitude of 100 m above sea level. In winter, penguins are in the ocean and live alone. In July they migrate to nesting sites. In the daytime, penguins hide in dense vegetation, rocky ledges, being active only at dusk and at night.

In colonies, pairs are located at a distance from each other. They do not nest in open places; rocky ledges, fallen trees, and burrows are preferred for nesting. Males return to breeding grounds in July, usually two weeks before females. The nest is built from small twigs. Females usually lay two pale green eggs. Hatching of eggs lasts 4-6 weeks. As a rule, most often one egg dies, but if both survive, then the parents are not able to feed two chicks, and the weaker chick dies. Of the two chicks, the one that hatches from the larger egg usually survives. From a smaller egg, often not a single chick hatches, or dies a few days after birth. The first 2-3 weeks, after the chick hatches, the male stays near the nest and guards it, while the female searches for and obtains food. Two weeks later, both parents go to feed at sea, leaving the chick on the shore as part of a group of young. At the age of 75 days, the chicks molt and are already able to swim in the sea.

Crested Snar penguin
Snares Penguin
(Eudyptes robustus)

It is endemic to the small archipelago of the Snare Islands, with an area of ​​​​about 3.3 km², this is the smallest range among all penguin species. However, about 30 thousand pairs live in this territory. Despite the fact that human impact on the archipelago is minimal, terrestrial predators are absent, and shrubs and trees are densely growing on the islands, the endangered status of the species is relatively favorable.

It has medium dimensions: height is about 55 cm and weight is about 4 kg.

The basis of nutrition is krill (about 60%). The rest of the diet consists of small squid and fish.

Breeds in colonies from several dozen pairs to a thousand or more. Nests are built both in forests and in open spaces. From the age of 5-6, the female lays two eggs, which alternately incubate with the male for 32-35 days. In most cases, one of the chicks dies. Surviving penguins at the age of 2.5 months go to feed in the ocean on a par with adults. Life expectancy - 15-20 years.

For adult penguins on the high seas, the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) poses the greatest danger. Eggs and chicks are endangered on land by various birds.

Penguin Schlegel
Royal Penguin
(Eudyptes schlegeli)

It lives on the barren, desert island of Macquarie, located in the Pacific Ocean in close proximity to the Antarctic belt. On the island, penguins usually form colonies of up to 500 thousand individuals, but sometimes small colonies of up to 200 pairs are also found. In total, the number of penguins is estimated at 2-2.5 million birds.

Adults reach a height of 70 cm and a weight of about 6 kg.

This type of penguin breeds only on Macquarie Island. However, adult penguins spend most of their time in the ocean far from the island, where they feed on krill, small fish, and zooplankton.

The female usually lays two eggs, with an incubation period of about 35 days.

Great crested penguin
Erect-crested Penguin
(Eudyptes sclateri)

Breeds in New Zealand's Bounty Islands and the Antipode Islands.

This is an average penguin with a body length of 63-65 cm, weighing about 2.7-3.5 kg. Females are significantly inferior in size to males. In adults, the color of the head of the upper part of the neck and cheeks is black. On the front part above the eyes there is a wide yellow cruciform stripe. The top of the body is black with a blue tint; the bottom is white. The wing-fin is painted black and blue along the edge - a white border, the bottom of the wing-fin is white; its end is dark from the inside. The beak is long and thin brownish-orange. Grayish-brown chicks are white below. Grown up chicks are somewhat different from adults, the main difference is the yellow cross on the head is smaller than in adults.

It breeds in large colonies. Males usually return to nesting sites two weeks before females. The beginning of the mating season is marked by extraordinary activity, including fights. Nesting is arranged on a flat area of ​​rocks no higher than 70 m above sea level. The female builds the nest by herself, raking out debris from under it with her paws. The male lays out the nest with stones, mud and grass. Eggs are laid in early October, laying lasts three to five days, during which time the female does not eat anything. There are two eggs in the clutch, the second egg is larger than the first. The eggs are light blue or greenish in color, but later they turn brown. From the moment when the second egg is laid, incubation begins, which lasts 35 days. The first egg usually does not survive, so penguins only incubate one egg. They take turns incubating: two or three days after the eggs are laid, the female leaves the nest, and the male remains on guard. This lasts three to four weeks, all this time the penguin fasts. The female returns to the chicks during the day to feed them by regurgitating food. In February, the chicks have already fledged and leave the islands where they were born.

Golden-haired penguin
Macaroni Penguin
(Eudyptes chrysolophus)

Widely distributed in colonies in southern Chile, Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands, the islands of the South Atlantic and east to Kerguelen and Heard. Golden-haired penguins are also found in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula. In total, over 200 breeding sites are known.

Adult golden-haired penguins are 50-70 cm tall and weigh just over 5 kg.

Their colonies are very numerous - up to 600 thousand nesting individuals. They nest on the ground, making very primitive nests. 2 eggs are laid. The duration of incubation is 35 days, with changes of parents characteristic of penguins.

little penguin
Little Penguin
(Eudyptula minor)

The habitat of little penguins is the coast of South Australia and New Zealand, as well as nearby islands. The population is estimated at about 1 million pairs.

Growth ranges from 30-33 cm, and weight is about 1 kg.

It feeds on small fish (10-35 mm), cephalopods, including octopuses, less often crustaceans. Penguins find their food in the upper layers of the sea, diving no deeper than 5 m from the surface, but if necessary they can dive to a depth of 30 m, and the recorded dive record was 69 m. Young penguins usually feed singly, each by itself. It feeds throughout the day - from sunrise to sunset, but its hunting is not always successful. Compared to other species, it is distinguished by a slow metabolism.

The little penguin is a social bird and is considered the most nocturnal of the other species. During the day it hunts or sleeps in the nest. Penguins settle in colonies in which birds of all ages live. Among them, small groups are formed, which, at the end of the daytime feeding, go ashore, line up in a “parade” and give concerts, after which the penguins disperse to their sites.

It breeds on islands near the coasts, as well as in some wild corners of the South Australian coast. This occurs in August-December, most clutches are made in August-November. The male and female mate close to the nest, which is located in a cave or crevice. In most cases, the female lays 1-2 white eggs with a difference of 3-5 days. Incubation begins from the moment the first egg is laid, but the female can leave, and only with the appearance of the second egg do both partners sit on the clutch, replacing each other every few days. Incubation lasts about 36 days, their chicks weigh 40 g. They are fed for the first 10 days of life, and then for another 1-3 weeks the parents protect them, replacing each other. At the age of 3-4 weeks, the chicks are looked after only at night, and later their parents feed them once a day, visiting them at night. Fledged chicks reach 90% of the weight of adult birds and leave the nest for 2-3 days, and then leave altogether. Both sexes of penguins reach sexual maturity at 3 years. From December to March, penguins molt, during which they stick together. Moulting occurs immediately after the end of the breeding season and lasts 10-18 days.

white-winged penguin
White-flippered Penguin
(Eudyptula albosignata)

Breeds only on Banks Peninsula and Motunau Island. Both nesting sites are located near the city of Christchurch, this is the South Island of New Zealand.

Reaches a length of 30 cm, with a mass of 1.5 kg.

Unlike other penguins, white-winged penguins are mostly nocturnal animals. During the day they sleep in burrows on the shore, but with the onset of darkness they go to sea in order to return to the shore before dawn. However, on the Banks Peninsula, they crawl out of their holes during the day, but do not go to sea. By evening, these penguins gather in groups in the sea near the coast and wait for it to get dark. Only then can they safely go to sea. The whole group goes to sea at the same time.

Egg laying occurs from July to December, but most eggs are laid from August to November. The female always lays her egg in a hole dug under a tree and arranged almost like a nest. However, a penguin may also dig its nesting hole in a grassy slope or even in a sand dune. Incubation lasts from 33 to 39 days. The chicks fledge and are ready to go to sea 50-65 days after they hatch.

Magnificent penguin
Yellow-eyed Penguin
(Megadyptes antipodes)

The main habitat is the islands from the south of the South Island to the Campbell Archipelago (New Zealand). Also, some specimens reach the Bounty and Antipodes Islands in the east and Macquarie Island in the south. The climate of the habitats of the penguin is temperate, it nests in native plants, not far from the ocean.

The growth of adult birds reaches 70-75 cm, weight - about 6-7 kg.

The magnificent penguin swims and dives well, but sea lions and sharks pose a danger to him at sea. An even greater threat is animals that are unusual for its places and introduced by man: rats, pigs, etc.

These birds do not form colonies and usually nest in separate pairs. Young penguins (at the age of 3 years) lay 1 egg each, older ones almost always lay 2 eggs. The duration of incubation in a magnificent penguin is 4 weeks. Sexual maturity of birds occurs, apparently, at the 4-5th year of life. Life expectancy - usually 10-12 years, in captivity, some specimens live up to 20 years.

Adelie Penguin
Adelie Penguin
(Pygoscelis adeliae)

It breeds on the coast of Antarctica and the islands closest to the mainland: South Shetland and Orkney. Representatives of the species are extremely rare north of 60 ° south latitude. From March to October, the Adélie penguin wanders in the ocean, moving away from nesting sites by 600-700 km. The main food of Adélie penguins is krill.

Body length about 70 cm, weight about 6 kg.

These penguins raise their chicks in the polar summer on the islands adjacent to Antarctica. All winter they swim among the ice floes 700 km from the nesting site. Having survived the polar night, the penguins go to nesting sites. There the birds build their nests out of small pebbles. Partners, replacing each other, incubate eggs, alternately feeding in the sea. At the beginning of the nesting season, Adélie penguins migrate from roaming areas to nesting areas within a month. At the end of the polar night (early October), the birds appear in the nesting areas. The air temperature at this time is kept at -40 ° C, and the average monthly wind speed reaches 60-70 km / h. Moving to nesting sites, birds go in groups from several tens to several thousand individuals, in a row or crawl on their belly at an average speed of about 4-6 km / h. Each pair occupies its last year's nesting site and begins to build a nest.

The nesting area of ​​the Adélie penguin is a round area with a radius of 60-80 cm, which the birds remember and fiercely protect it from their neighbors. Depending on the age and "experience" of the birds, their nests are different. For some, it's just a few pebbles, for others it's a few hundred pebbles, stacked in a kind of "bowl". Adélie penguin nest building is accompanied by a lot of noise, because the neighbors are constantly stealing stones from each other. It often happens that some penguins trade themselves for an extra nest stone.

During this period, the birds do not eat anything, even if there is open water. From the first half of November to mid-December, Adele lay eggs and begin to incubate them. During this period, the colony is quiet. Each pair sits within its territory and protects it from other penguins. There are usually two eggs in the clutch, which are laid with a break of 1-5 days. During this period, the snow begins to melt, and the force of the wind subsides a little. Immediately after laying the second egg, the females go to sea to feed after a month-long hunger strike. Males remain to incubate eggs and starve for another 2-2.5 weeks. By this time, the females return and replace the males on the nest. Males return from feeding after 3-12 days. Again on the nest there is a change of partners.

The chicks hatch in the most favorable period, when the snow has melted in some places and the sun is shining. At first, they hide under their parents, then they stand at the nest, hiding with their parents only during snowstorms. Gradually maturing chicks move away from their nests and form groups of 3-4 chicks. Then the number of birds in the group reaches 10-20 individuals.

In bad weather, the chicks huddle together, but usually stand free. Parents returning with food unmistakably find their chicks in groups, and, as a rule, drive away strangers. As soon as the molting of the chicks is completed, they mix with adult birds. In mid-February-late March, Adeles leave their nesting sites. Young birds are the first to swim to the open sea. Adult birds molt on the rocks for about two weeks, during this period they also starve, because they cannot be in the water, then, at the end of the molt, they also swim into the sea until next spring.

Antarctic penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
(Pygoscelis antarcticus)

The habitat of this species is the coast of Antarctica from the side of the American continents and adjacent islands, to the north it is distributed to South Georgia, Bouvet and Balleny. Swims to the Falkland Islands. Penguins are also found on icebergs in Antarctica. The number of individuals is estimated at 6.5-7.5 million pairs.

Adult chinstrap penguins reach a height of 60-70 cm and weigh about 4.5 kg.

Penguins build nests among stones, male and female alternately incubate 1-2 eggs for 5-10 days for 35 days. Unlike other species, they feed their both chicks. At the age of 50-60 days, the young are already beginning to go to sea. Adult chinstrap penguins are excellent swimmers and divers, they can reach depths of up to 250 m. The basis of their diet is krill, sometimes small fish. Chinstrap penguins can travel up to 1,000 km from their nesting sites at sea.

These penguins are quite aggressive. There are known cases of these birds attacking people approaching the colony.

subantarctic penguin
Gentoo Penguin
(Pygoscelis papua)

Range - subantarctic islands. The species is widely distributed in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Kerguelen Archipelago. Also, the subantarctic penguin breeds on Macquarie, Heard and McDonald Islands, the north of the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands.

Males reach a weight of 9 kg, and females - 7.5 kg, the growth of adults is 75-90 cm. Under water they reach a speed of 36 km / h, which makes them the fastest of all penguins. The diving depth can reach 200 m.

They feed on krill, less often on small fish. The natural enemies of the species are killer whales, sea lions and leopards. Seabirds do not pose a threat to adults, but threaten eggs and chicks.

Nests are built among tufts of soddy grass. The female usually lays 2 eggs; both parents incubate the clutch for an average of 34 days, changing after a few days. After 14 weeks, the chicks begin to go to sea.

spectacled penguin
African Penguin
(Spheniscus demersus)

Distribution area - the coast of South Africa and Namibia and nearby islands in the area of ​​​​the cold Benguela Current. Lives in colonies. Today the population is estimated at 140-180 thousand individuals.

It reaches 65-70 cm in height and weighs 3-5 kg.

Penguins in the water can reach speeds of up to 20 km / h, dive deeper than 100 m and hold their breath for 2-3 minutes. During feeding they can swim 70-120 km in the ocean. They feed mainly on small fish (fry of herring, anchovies, sardines, etc.). The main enemies are sharks, gulls (for chicks), fur seals (as a competitor for prey and as a predator) and feral cats (for chicks and eggs in some colonies).

The cries of penguins resemble those of donkeys. The penguin lives for 10-12 years, females usually begin to give birth to offspring at 4-5 years. The clutch consists of 2 eggs, which are incubated by both parents in turn for about 40 days. The chicks are covered with brownish-gray down, later with a bluish tinge. The breeding season is not clearly defined, it varies depending on the place.

Galapagos penguin
Galapagos Penguin
(Spheniscus mendiculus)

The Galapagos penguin is unique among other penguins in that the range is not the Antarctic and subantarctic regions, not even temperate, but the Galapagos Islands located just a few tens of kilometers from the equator. The air temperature in habitats ranges from +18-+28°C, water - +22-+24°C. About 90% of penguins live on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela. The number of individuals is estimated at 1500-2000 adult birds.

Adults reach a height of about 50 cm and a weight of about 2.5 kg.

The main diet is small fish, crustaceans. Birds usually incubate eggs for 38-40 days, male and female alternately. At the age of 60-65 days, the chicks go to sea with adults. Galapagos penguins nest near the water.

Penguin Humboldt
Humboldt Penguin
(Spheniscus humboldti)

It breeds on the rocky coasts of Chile and Peru, where the cold Peruvian current passes.

Reaches a height of 55-56 cm, with a weight of 5 kg.

Magellanic penguin
Magellanic Penguin
(Spheniscus magellanicus)

The main nesting area is the Patagonian coast, Tierra del Fuego, the Juan Fernandez Islands and the Falklands. Individuals have been seen as far north as Rio de Janeiro and southern Peru. It also inhabits the coasts of South America north of Coquimbo (Chile) and Rio de Janeiro. The number is estimated at about 1.8 million pairs.

Adults reach a height of 70-80 cm and a weight of 5-6 kg.

Life expectancy - about 15 years, less often - up to 20 years, in captivity it is possible to live up to 20-25 years. Magellanic penguins feed on krill, cuttlefish and small fish. Nests are arranged in burrows that are dug in soft ground. Both parents incubate the egg - about 40 days. The family alternately usually incubates 1-2 eggs.