The chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) is a type of penguin found on islands and coastal areas in the Southern Pacific and Antarctic Oceans. Its name comes from the thin black stripe under its head, which looks like a helmet. It is also called the ringed penguin, bearded penguin, and stonecracker penguin. This species is known for making a loud and rough sound.

Taxonomy

This species was first named Aptenodytes antarctica by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1781. At that time, it was placed in the same group, or genus, as king and emperor penguins. In 1990, Graham Turbott moved this species to a different genus called Pygoscelis, along with Adélie and gentoo penguins. This change gave it the new name P. antarctica. However, this name contains a spelling mistake because of a difference in Latin grammar rules between the word "Antarctica" and its assigned genus. The correct name, P. antarcticus, is now the accepted scientific name for this species.

Description

The chinstrap penguin grows to be between 68 and 76 centimeters (27 to 30 inches) long and weighs between 3.2 and 5.3 kilograms (7.1 to 11.7 pounds). Its size can change depending on the season. Male chinstrap penguins are larger and heavier than females.

The adult's flippers are black with a white edge, and the inside of the flippers is white. The face is white and extends behind the eyes, which are reddish brown. The chin and throat are also white, and the short bill is black. The strong legs and webbed feet are pink. The short, thick legs make the penguin waddle when it walks.

The black back and white belly create a color pattern that helps them blend in when seen from above or below, making it harder for predators to spot them.

Distribution

Chinstrap penguins live in areas around the South Pole. They breed in Antarctica, Argentina, Bouvet Island, Chile, the French Southern Territories, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. Some penguins have been found outside their usual range in New Zealand, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and South Africa.

Ecology

The chinstrap penguin eats small fish, krill, shrimp, and squid. To find food, they swim up to 80 km (50 mi) offshore each day. Their feathers are tightly packed, creating a waterproof layer that helps them swim in very cold water. Thick blubber and special blood vessels in their flippers and legs also help them stay warm.

At sea, the main predator of the chinstrap penguin is the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). Each year, this seal causes the penguin population to decrease by about 5% to 20%. On land, the brown skua (Stercorarius antarcticus), south polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki), and southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) are the main predators. These birds often eat chinstrap penguin eggs and young. The Antarctic fur seal sometimes kills chinstrap penguins as well.

Behaviour

Chinstrap penguins build round nests using stones on land and lay two eggs. Both the male and female take turns incubating the eggs for about six days each. The chicks hatch after about 37 days and have soft, gray backs and white bellies. They stay in the nest for 20 to 30 days before joining other young penguins in a group. At about 50 to 60 days old, the chicks molt, growing their adult feathers, and then swim out to sea.

Chinstrap penguins are usually the most aggressive and short-tempered type of penguin.

These penguins sleep more than 10,000 times each day, with each sleep lasting about four seconds. They can sleep with one or both sides of their brain at the same time. Each brain hemisphere gets about 11 hours of sleep each day.

In 2004, two male chinstrap penguins named Roy and Silo at the Central Park Zoo in New York City became a pair. They tried to care for a rock as if it were an egg. A zookeeper later replaced the rock with a real egg, and the pair successfully hatched and raised the chick. Penguins naturally care for eggs and are social animals. The children's book And Tango Makes Three was written about this event.

Conservation status

In 2018, the IUCN estimated that there were about 8 million chinstrap penguins. Although the population is likely decreasing overall, it is not broken into small, separate groups. In many areas, the population is either increasing or staying the same. The species is listed as "least concern" on the IUCN Red List since 2016 because it has a large range and a large number of individuals. This classification has been the same in five assessments from 2004 to 2012 and was marked as "unknown" in three assessments from 1988 to 2000.

The main threat to the chinstrap penguin is climate change. In some parts of its habitat, climate change reduces the amount of krill, which may make it harder for penguins to reproduce successfully. For example, a 2019 study on Elephant Island found that the penguin population there had decreased by 50% over nearly 50 years. Other possible threats include volcanic activity and human fishing for krill.