Thechinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) is apenguin species that inhabits various islands and shores in the Southern Pacific and the Antarctic Oceans. Its name stems from the narrow black band under its head, which makes it appear as if it were wearing a black helmet.[2] Due to its loud, harsh call, other common names includeringed penguin,bearded penguin, andstonecracker penguin.[3]
This species was initially given thescientific nameAptenodytes antarctica byJohann Reinhold Forster in 1781, placing it in the samegenus as theking andemperor penguins. In 1990,Graham Turbott transferred this species into the genusPygoscelis, together with theAdélie andgentoo penguins. This gave it the new nameP. antarctica. However, this is an orthographic error due to the disagreement in Latin grammar betweenantarctica and its assigned genus. The corrected form,P. antarcticus, is the currently accepted name for this species.[4]
The chinstrap penguin grows to a length of 68–76 cm (27–30 in) and a weight of 3.2–5.3 kg (7.1–11.7 lb), varying with the time of year.[3] Males aregreater in weight and height than females.[5]
The adult chinstrap's flippers are black with a white edge; the inner sides of the flippers are white. The face is white, extending behind the eyes, which are reddish brown; the chin and throat are white, as well, while the short bill is black. The strong legs and the webbed feet are pink. Its short, stumpy legs give it a distinct waddle when it walks. The chinstrap penguin's black back and white underside provide camouflage in the form ofcountershading when viewed from above or below, helping to avoid detection by its predators.[6]
The diet of the chinstrap penguin consists of smallfish,krill,shrimp, andsquid, which they swim up to 80 km (50 mi) offshore each day to obtain. The chinstrap penguin's tightly packed feathers provide a waterproof coat, enabling it to swim in freezing waters. Additionally, thickblubber deposits and intricateblood vessels in the flippers and legs assist in preserving heat.[6]
The main predator of the chinstrap penguin at sea is theleopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx). Every year, the leopard seal causes the chinstrap's population to decrease by about 5% to 20%. On land, thebrown skua (Stercorarius antarcticus),south polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki), andsouthern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) are the primary predators of the penguin. These three species most often prey on eggs and young chinstrap penguins. TheAntarctic fur seal is also known to kill chinstrap penguins occasionally.[7]
On land, they build circular nests from stones and lay two eggs, which are incubated by the male and the female for shifts of around 6 days each. The chicks hatch after around 37 days, and have fluffy grey backs and white fronts. The chicks stay in the nest for 20–30 days before joining other chicks in acrèche. Around 50–60 days old, they moult, gaining their adult feathers and go to sea.[8]
Chinstrap penguins are generally considered the most aggressive and ill-tempered species of penguin.[8]
Chinstrap penguins microsleep over 10,000 times a day and accomplish this in 4 second bouts of sleep. The sleep can be both bihemispheric and unihemisphericslow-wave sleep. The penguins accumulate over 11 hours of sleep for each hemisphere daily.[9]
In 2004, two male chinstrap penguins namedRoy and Silo inCentral Park Zoo,New York City, formed apair bond and took turns trying to "hatch" a rock, for which a keeper eventually substituted a fertile egg, and the pair subsequently hatched and raised the chick.[10] Penguins, by nature, hatch eggs and are social creatures. The children's bookAnd Tango Makes Three was written based on this event.[11]
In 2018, the IUCN estimated that the population of chinstrap penguins was around 8 million specimens. Although it is believed to be decreasing overall, its population is not severely fragmented; it is increasing or stable in many sites. The species is classified asleast concern on theIUCN Red List as of 2016, due to its large range and population, following five previous assessments of the same status from 2004 to 2012 and three assessments as "unknown" from 1988 to 2000.[1]
The chinstrap penguin is primarily threatened byclimate change. In several parts of its range, climate change decreases the abundance of krill, which likely makes reproduction less successful. For instance, a 2019 expedition to breeding grounds onElephant Island showed a fifty percent population decline in just under fifty years.[12][13] Other potential threats include volcanic events[14] and human fishing for krill.[15]
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