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The tuxedos that penguins look like they are wearing aren't just a fashion statement; the black and white colors not only help camouflage them from predators, but they also help them hunt for fish.
Gus is an emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) who made international headlines in 2024 as the first of his species recorded in Australia.Gus's journey of over 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) from Antarctica to Ocean Beach, Western Australia, captured the attention of scientists, wildlife enthusiasts, and the general public.
Magellanic penguins feed in the water, preying on small pelagic fish, hagfish, [5] cuttlefish, squid, krill, and other crustaceans, and ingest sea water with their prey. Their salt-excreting gland rids the salt from their bodies. Adult penguins can regularly dive to depths of 20 to 50 m (66 to 164 ft) deep in order to forage for prey.
The majority (around 88% in one study) of dives undertaken by king penguins are flat-bottomed; that is, the penguin dives to a certain depth and remains there for a period of time hunting (roughly 50% of total dive time) before returning to the surface. They have been described as U-shaped or W-shaped, relating to the course of the dive.
Macaroni penguins moult once a year, a process in which they replace all of their old feathers. They spend around two weeks accumulating fat before moulting because they do not feed during the moult, as they cannot enter the water to forage for food without feathers. The process typically takes three to four weeks, which they spend sitting ashore.
Most penguins moult between mid-January and mid-February, however the initiation varies with latitude and favourable conditions such as food abundance. [16] [17] Humboldt penguins are confined to land until they finish moulting. [18] They become hyperphagic during the pre-moulting period. [17] The feathers are lost and replaced within 2 weeks. [19]
The chicks stay in the nest for 20–30 days before they go to join other chicks in a crèche. Around 50–60 days old, they moult, gaining their adult feathers and go to sea. [8] Chinstrap penguins are generally considered to be the most aggressive and ill-tempered species of penguin. [8]
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