Penguin

**﻿﻿Basic Information**
The adelie penguin, //Pygoscelis adeliae//, is the most common species of penguin. They are often found on the shores around Antarctica. These penguins are known for their waddle and tuxedo-like appearance. It is difficult to distinguish the male and female adelie penguin.
 * **Kingdom:** || Animalia ||
 * **Phylum:** || Chordata ||
 * **Class:** || Aves ||
 * **Order:** || ﻿﻿ Sphenisciformes ||
 * **Family:** || Spheniscidae ||
 * **Genus:** || //Pygoscelis// ||
 * **Species:** || //Pygoscelies adeliae// ||

**Habitat**
Adelie penguins live in rookeries, which are communites of up to 300,000 penguins. During the month of October, the adelie penguin migrate to the rocky coastline of Antarctica where they live in colonies. They build simple nests of tiny stones gathered from the ground. They live in two places: on land, they lay their eggs and in water, they eat their food.

**Physiology**
Adelie penguins' bodies are built for sealife. Their black and white bodies are called countershading, which is a form of camoflage. Their ears are holes that are hidden by feathers. Hearing is important for all penguins for communication among other colonies of penguins. A penguin's beak can be small or large, thin or wide, but they all share the same purpose to catch food and as a weapon in penguin fights. Penguins' short legs are used for steering underwater. It is difficult for a penguin to walk which is why they waddle. Their webbed feet are adaptive to their aquatic lifestyle and they have short claws that don't retract. Their tails are short and shaped like a wedge to prop them on land or when climbing a steep hill.

**﻿Species Interactions**
Adelie penguin are social, foraging, and nesting in groups. They tend to migrate during the year because they follow the sun from their breeding colonies to foraging grounds and back. The male and female penguin often take turns over a course of months to search for food. Adelie penguins are clumsy on land, but graceful in water.

**Reproduction﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿**
After the adelie penguins have mated and the female layed eggs, the males incubate the eggs. Sitting on the eggs keep them warm and safe from predators. After a few months, the egg finally hatches and the parents begin feeding their chicks. The chicks stay in groups to keep warm. When the chicks have grown up, the adults leave and the chicks fledge.

Nutrition
The most common eaten meal by all penguin are krill. Krill are shrimplike crustaceans of the family, //Euphausiacea//. Antarctic krill, //Euphausia superba//, is the most abundant animal species on Earth in populations of 600,000 billion and weighing 650 million tons. Other than krill, adelie penguin often eat Antarctic silverfish and glacial squid. Their food choice often depends on their geographical location.

Life Cycle

 * January to March:** Feeding, 80-100 mile march to rookery
 * April:** Females go off to feed, females return, males go feed; cycle repeats six more times
 * May:** Mating
 * June to July:** Males incubate eggs
 * August:** Hatching
 * September to October:** Feeding chicks
 * October to November:** Chicks form groups to stay warm
 * December:** Adults leave; chicks fledge; ice breaks up

Additional Photographs
A male penguin keeping its chick warm (left). Several penguins during their march back to the rookery (right).