Adelie Penguins

Adelie Penguins

Adelie Penguin - Pygoscelis Adeliae

	Distinguishing features
	Sub-species
	Height & Weight

	Breeding locations
	Nesting Behaviour
	Principal Diet

Alternative names

Distinguishing features Adelies are the archetypal penguins that are supposed to look like men in their dinner suits. They have a white front and a black back. They also have a white ring around the eye that is most pronounced in the breeding season. Juveniles can be recognised by their white chins. Chicks have uniform grey black plumage. Photos of Adelie penguins return to top of page
Sub-species There are no generally recognised sub-species of the Adelie penguin. return to top of page
Height & Weight Adult Adelies are about 70 cm tall. Weights vary through the year. Males weigh from 4.4 to 5.4 kg while females are lighter at 3.9 to 4.8 kg. return to top of page
Breeding locations
	Adelie penguins breed on exposed rock all round the Antarctic continent. There are reported to be 177 separate site comprising some 1,030 colonies. The population has been declining over the last few decades and is falling at an increasing rate as the climate in Antarctica warms. The total breeding population is estimated to be about 2,000,000 pairs.
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Nesting behaviour Adelies build rough nests of stones. Two eggs are laid, these are incubated for 32 to 34 days by the parents taking turns (shifts typically last for 12 days). The chicks remain in the nest for 22 days before joining creches. The chicks moult into their juvenile plumage and go out to sea after 50 to 60 days. return to top of page
Principal diet Adelies live almost exclusively on krill - which makes up over 99% of their diet. return to top of page
Alternative names As far as we know there are no alternative names for Adelie penguins. If you know of any please send us an email. return to top of page

Bibliography

Penguins John Sparks and Tony Soper, Facts on File Publications, Oxford, 1987.

Penguins of the World Pauline Reilly, OUP, Oxford, 1994.

The Penguins Tony D Williams, OUP, Oxford, 1995.

Penguin CAMP reports, IUCN, 1998 and 2004.