Adelie Penguins facts

Scientific Classification

Common Name: Adelie Penguin
Scientific Name: Pygoscelis adeliae
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Genus: Pygoscelis
Conservation status: Near threatened

Physical features:

The Adelie Penguin are medium sized bird, about 18 to 30 inches in height and weight up to 3.6 to 6 Kg. Adelie Penguin has very short legs. They have pink strong feet with rough and bumpy nails, which helps in climbing rock cliffs and also useful in walking on ice.

Both head and beak of Adelie Penguin is in black in color. They have small eyes with with circle around it. Adelie Penguin do not have external ears. However, they have hearing sense because of small penguin consist of small holes covered with feathers. Adelie penguin has spiny tongue. This helps in holding and swallowing slippery food such as fish.

Adelie Penguin's tail is black color and gives tuxedo like appearance. Tail is little longer than other penguin species. Adelie penquins are in black and white in color. Adelie penquins has high density feathers and they are cup shaped and overlap closely to provide waterproof covering to the body. Adélie Penguins are molt, which means they lose their feather and grow new ones. The new feather grows under the old one and pushes it out.

Habitat and Distribution:

Adelie penguin is found in Antarctic coastline and close by islands. On winter season, Adelie Penguins migrate to North. During summer season, they return to south.

Diet & Eating Habits of Adelie penguin:

Adelie penguin eats Antarctic krill, silverfish, sea krill, ice krill and glacial squid.

Reproduction of Adelie penguin:

October and November is breeding season for Adelie penguins, in December they start incubating the egg. Adelie penguins needs ice-free place, although they lives on sea ice.

Lifespan of Adelie penguin:

Adelie penguin can live about 20 to 25 years in wild and about 25 to 30 years in captivity.

Adelie penguin predators:

Leopard Seal is the biggest predator for Adelie Penguin. Whale is another predator and also south polar skuas, they eat Adelie Penguin's eggs, they eat unguarded Adelie Penguins' eggs.