Scientific Classification
- Common Name
- Adélie penguin
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Sphenisciformes
- Family
- Spheniscidae
- Genus Species
- Pygoscelis adeliae
Fast Facts
- Description
- Medium-sized penguin with classic "tuxedo" appearance. The Adélie has a black head and will develop white eye rings during the breeding season. Adélie penguins are one of three species of "brush-tail" penguins along with the chinstrap and gentoo penguins.
- Size
- 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 in.)
- Weight
- 3.6 to 4.5 kg (8 to 10 lbs.)
- Diet
- Primarily small krill
- Incubation
- 34 days; after hatching, parents brood chicks for an additional 22 days
- Sexual Maturity
- No data
- Life Span
- 15 to 20 years
- Range
- Circumpolar on and around Antarctic continent. One of only two species restricted to Antarctica (the other species is the emperor).
- Habitat
- Usually found within the limits of the Antarctic icepack
- Population
- Global: 2,370,000
- Status
- IUCN: No data
CITES: No data
USFWS: No data
Fun Facts
Adélies build their nests with stones are known to steal stones from the nests of rival breeding pairs.
Members of this genus have short, wedge-shaped tails, with 14 to 18 stiff tail feathers. They are known to rock back on their heel and prop themselves up on land utilizing their tail feathers.
Studies with Adélies indicate that they use the sun to navigate from land to sea. The adjust for the sun's changing position in the sky throughout the day.
A colony of 5 million Adélies may eat nearly 8 million kg (17.6 million lbs.) of krill and small fishes daily.
Research has demonstrated that Adélie Penguins are very faithful to their nest sites. In one study, male Adélies were faithful to the previous year's territory 99% of the time.
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.