Scientific Name: Pygoscelis adeliae
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Genus: Pygoscelis
Distribution
There are over 5 million Adelies in the Ross Sea Region. Ross Island supports a colony of approximately half a million Adélie penguins.
Physical Characteristics
These penguins are mid-sized, being 46 to 75 cm (18 to 30 in) in length and 3.9 to 5.8 kg (8.6 to 12.8 lbs) in weight.
Distinctive marks are the white ring surrounding the eye and the feathers at the base of the bill. These long feathers hide most of the red bill. The tail is a little longer than other penguins' tails.
Behavior
The Adelie Penguin is highly social, foraging and nesting in groups.
Diet
The Adélie penguin is known to feed mainly on Antarctic krill, crystal krill (ice krill), Antarctic silverfish, and Glacial Squid (diet varies depending on geographic location) during the chick-rearing season.
Reproduction
Adélie Penguins arrive at their breeding grounds in October. Their nests consist of stones piled together. In December, the warmest month in Antarctica, the parents take turns incubating the egg; one goes to feed and the other stays to warm the egg. The parent who is incubating does not eat. In March, the adults and their young return to the sea. The Adélie penguin lives on sea ice but needs the ice-free land to breed. With a reduction in sea ice and a scarcity of food, populations of the Adélie penguin have dropped by 65% over the past 25 years.
