Penguins Page 2


nr.482
King Penguin, South Georgia.
Length: 94cm, Stands 76cm
Adélie Penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae
Circumpolar, breeding on subantarctic islands. Extensive colonies are to be found at South Georgia, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen and Macquarie Islands.

Has very distinct bright golden-orange auricular patches on sides of head which extend down as narrow band of colours across throat to form a deep orange and golden-yellow patch on silver-white upper breast. Nape and shoulders a clear steel-blue, blending to black-grey on back. Leading edges of auricular patches and head a deeper black. Immature birds similar, but not clear, deep colour of adults. Young over ten days old are covered with dense, deep brown down with purplish tints. Fully grown young often appear much larger than attending adults. Unique breeding cycle: incubation of one egg lasts for 54-55 days and chick rearing 11-12 months. As the complete breeding cycle takes about 14 Months (South Georgia), a pair will generally only breed twice in three years. Diet includes fish and squid, caught by deep dives during daylight hours.

nr.435
Magellanic Penguin, Falkland Islands.
Length: 71 cm  Stands: 35-38 cm
Juan Fernandez Islands in Pacific, islands along the coast of southern Chile to islands off Cape Horn, South Atlantic coasts of Argentina as far north as Valdez Peninsula and Falkland Islands.

All Black and white species. Head and upper parts blackish, except for prominent white band of varying width which begins at gape, crosses above eye, with narrow white line below eye, and continues to lower side of head, joining across throat. Second irregular band of white crosses block upper chest region, and runs under flipper joint and down flanks to meet white of leag feathers and under parts. Bill black with horn coloured mark on lower mandible. Facial skin between gape and eye often pink with grey markings. Feet flesh coloured. Nests in self dug burrows. Egg laying commences mid-October and incubation lasts for 38-41 days. Fledglings leave burrows in late January and adults vacate sites after their moult  in March. Feeds on small schooling fish and squid.

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