Fauna Journal Entry

Penguins Blocked by Icebergs (November 21, 2002)

Two huge icebergs have reduced the number of Emperor penguins living and breeding at Cape Crozier in Antarctica. The remote site was visited by two researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography last month.

Recent photos taken in Antarctica show that the penguin colony has been broken into five separate subgroups. The birds have been separated by two massive icebergs near Cape Crozier. Two years ago, the colony had about 2,400 full-grown Emperor penguins and 1,200 chicks. The new photos show that the colony has been greatly reduced by the icebergs blocking the shoreline.

The researchers compared the emperor colony at Cape Crozier with another at Beaufort Island. The comparison shows the Cape Crozier birds have not been as successful at finding food for their young.

The Emperor penguin is the largest penguin species. The birds stand about 45 inches (115 cm) tall and can live for more than forty years. An estimated 200,000 pairs breed in about 40 colonies across Antarctica.

Emperor penguins lay only one egg and incubate it on their feet. Males incubate the eggs as the females go back to the sea until the eggs hatch. The males fast for a total of four months during courtship and while incubating the eggs.

The featherless chicks will die within minutes if they are dropped onto the ice. The parents brood the youngsters on their feet for about 50 days after hatching.