When it comes to penguins, many people think of the icy Antarctic, thinking that penguins are only distributed along the coast of the Antarctic continent. In fact, penguins are not only distributed in Antarctica. In addition to the Antarctic, there are penguins in Australia, Africa, and South America. Individual populations extend to the equator of the Galapagos Islands in Latin America, and even cross the equator, becoming the only penguin to set foot in the northern hemisphere.
Penguins can live in the severe cold area of minus 25 ℃, and can also live in the subtropical area of 38 ℃. At present, no other bird in the world can be distributed in such a wide area.
December to January is the best season to go to Antarctica to see penguins. At this time, the little penguins hatch one after another and have the longest day! There are about 18 species of penguins in the world, and there are 8 species distributed in the Antarctic, but only two species live entirely in the Antarctic - emperor penguins and Adélie penguins. Although there are not many species of Antarctic penguins, the number is considerable. According to observations and estimates, there are nearly 120 million penguins in the entire Antarctic region, accounting for 87% of the world's total penguins. Here are 8 of the most iconic species of penguins that inhabit Antarctica and its nearby islands.
1. Emperor Penguins (Antarctica only)
Emperor penguins are the only penguins in Antarctica that breed in winter. Little emperor penguin chicks are born between the end of July and mid-August, but they can't explore the ocean alone until January.
2. Adelie penguins (Antarctica only)
Adelie penguins live in Antarctica and some surrounding islands all year round. Adelie penguins are all easier to spot in winter, when they spend most of their day in coastal waters. Adélie penguins have the shortest breeding season of all penguins.
3. Gentoo Penguins (Antarctic and Subantarctic Islands)
Gentoo penguins live in large species on the northern Antarctic Peninsula, the South Sandwich Islands, the South Shetland Islands, the South Orkney Islands, and the coastlines of the Antarctic Falkland Islands and South Georgia. They nest on beaches and in grass, and egg laying can begin as early as June, but is delayed until December in colder regions.
4. Chinstrap Penguins (Antarctic and Subantarctic Islands)
There are about seven million pairs of chinstrap penguins in the world, which feed on fish and krill, and usually hatch two chicks each mating season between late February and early March.
5. Macroni Penguins (Antarctic and Subantarctic Islands)
Macaroni penguins are found near Antarctica and breed in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich and South Orkney. They form huge colonies spread across hillsides and rocky cliffs, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. In southern Georgia, Macaroni penguins start breeding in late October and lay their eggs two weeks later. The female lays two eggs, the first much smaller than the second, and the smaller eggs rarely hatch.
6 Rockhopper Penguins (Antarctic and Subantarctic Islands)
Based on breeding behavior and breeding location, the species has been divided into three fairly distinct subspecies: northern, southern and eastern crested penguins. On Antarctic voyages, we mostly see northern and southern crested penguins.
7. Magellanic Penguins (Antarctica only)
Named after the famous explorer Ferdinand Magellan, these penguins are closely related to Galapagos, Humboldt and African penguins. Magellanic penguins are abundant in the Falkland Islands and South America, but are rare in southern Georgia and the South Shetland Islands.
8. King Penguins (Antarctica only)
King penguins are the second largest after emperor penguins: once they are fully grown, they can weigh up to 16 kg (35 lb) and stand 94 cm tall.
Penguins spend about half of their lives on land and half in the ocean, and are master swimmers and divers, with some species reaching speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Climate warming, entangled plastics and oil pollution remain their main existential threats. Implementing the green and low-carbon concept of sustainable development and supporting nature protection activities such as birds and oceans are all we can do. Let's protect penguins and protect the earth together!
