Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus)
Chinstrap penguins are well adapted for the extreme cold of the Antarctic waters. Their short, densely packed feathers act as insulation to keep the heat in, as well as a water proofing layer to keep the water out. There is a very large and healthy population that lives and breeds in large colonies numbering into the millions. The chinstrap penguin's main predators are leopard seals and birds such as skuas that prey on the chicks and eggs.
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Slippery slopes About the Chinstrap penguin
The Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island and Balleny. Their name derives from the narrow black band under their heads which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets, making them one of the most easily identified types of penguin. Other names for them are "Ringed Penguins", "Bearded Penguins", and "Stonecracker Penguins" due to their harsh call.
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Scientific Classification
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Penguin (Spheniscidae)
Genus: Pygoscelis
Species: Chinstrap Penguin (antarcticus)
Common Names
- Bearded penguin
- Ringed penguin
- Stonecracker penguin
The Chinstrap penguin is
Adaptation data provided by Animal Diversity Web
Where can I see them?
They can be found in the following habitats:
Elsewhere on the web
- Pygoscelis antarcticus (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Australian Antarctic Division: fact sheet (aad.gov.au)
- British Antarctic Survey: fact sheet (antarctica.ac.uk)
- Chinstrap penguin fact file (penguinworld.com)
- Animal Bytes: fast and fun facts (seaworld.org)
- Chinstrap Penguin (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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