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.
