Animal Encyclopedia Category: Seabirds

Though Adélie penguins live mostly on the continent of Antarctica (and a few associated islands), they mate and nest on rocky shores, rather than on the ice. Both parents take turns caring for a clutch of two eggs that are laid in a stone nest. While one parent incubates the eggs, the other parent feeds. Adelie penguins are … Read more

Southern rockhopper penguins are small-bodied penguins, reaching heights of about two feet (0.6 m) and weights of only a few pounds. Southern rockhopper penguins have white fronts and black heads and hoods. Their beaks are bright orange, and their eyebrows are bright yellow. At the outer edge of the eyebrows, long yellow feathers extend off … Read more

As in all seabirds, southern giant petrels nest on land and feed at sea. They nest in groups, but in most places, they do not form the extremely dense colonies characteristic of several other species of seabird. This species prefers to nest on the ground rather than in trees or other vegetation and generally does not successfully … Read more

As in all seabirds, magnificent frigatebirds nest on land, but they spend almost all of their time in flight, searching for food. This species prefers to nest off of the ground, in mangrove forests and other trees or bushes, but they will nest on the ground in places where vegetation is sparse. During courtship, the male magnificent frigatebird … Read more

This species is able to survive so close to the equator because of the biogeography of the western coast of South America. Cold, productive water travels from Antarctica via the Humboldt Current (named for the same explorer), which flows along this species’ entire distribution. The Humboldt penguin is closely related to the other temperate penguins and more … Read more

This species is able to survive at the equator because of the unique biogeography of the Galapagos Islands. Cold, productive water travels from Antarctica via the Humboldt Current, which flows to this island group. Like many animals near the equator, Galapagos penguins breed year round. Unlike the Antarctic penguins, Galapagos penguins do not need to worry about … Read more

Emperor penguins are foraging predators that feed on fishes, squids, and sometimes krill in the cold, productive currents around Antarctica. Scientists have demonstrated that these penguins can dive to depths of at least 1700 feet (500 m) in search of food. Though they feed in the open ocean, emperor penguins nest on the ice surface. This penguin is … Read more