They feature a black head where a white border that runs from the top of both the eyes, around the ear covers and chin, to join at the throat. Climate change, over-fishing, and ocean acidification are the biggest threats to the survival of this penguin species.
The Magellanic penguin Spheniscus magellanicus breeds in the coastal areas of Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Some of these penguins even migrate to Brazil and are occasionally sighted in the coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro. The penguins grow to attain lengths of 61—76 cm. The penguins are characterized by two black bands between their breast. The Magellanic penguins feed on squid, krill, cuttlefish, and other crustaceans in the water. The species is classified as near threatened by IUCN.
Climate change triggered increased frequency of extreme events like wildfires, storms, temperature extremes, etc. The white-flippered penguin Eudyptula minor albosignata is a small penguin that stands at about 30 cm tall.
It obtains its name from the white markings on its flippers. The penguins feed on small shoaling fish and cephalopods. The little penguin Eudyptula minor is the smallest species of penguin that grows to an average of 33 cm only in height.
These penguins can be observed along the coastlines of New Zealand and southern Australia. Due to their blue plumage and small size, they are fondly named as the fairy penguins. The penguins feed on small clupeoid fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Although classified as a least concern species, the little penguins are subjected to human disturbances in their habitat.
Some of these penguins drown due to the effects of bycatch fishing. Oil spills and plastic pollution are also lethal to the penguins. The most characteristic phenotype of these penguins is the wide white stripe stretching like a bonnet the top of the head. They also possess a bright orange-colored bill and a fairly long tail.
The gentoos attain a height of 51 to 90 cm which makes them the third largest penguin species. Gentoo penguins breed in many sub-Antarctic islands with the major colonies based in South Georgia, Kerguelen Islands, and the Falkland Islands. These birds feed on krill and other crustaceans as well as fish. Sea lions, killer whales, and leopard seals often prey on the gentoos while many seabirds steal their eggs.
The chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarcticus lives on the islands and shores of the Antarctic Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean. The penguin gets its name from the narrow black band under its head which makes it appear as if it is wearing a helmet.
These penguins have an average length of 72 cm and weigh around 3 to 5 kg. The species has a circumpolar distribution.
Krill, squid, fish, and shrimp constitute the food of these penguins. These penguins are mid-sized with size ranging from 46 to 71 cm. Her research advocates splitting the southern rockhopper penguin into two species eastern and western. She also suggests that evidence shows the little penguin should be considered two species. Then there is Dr Jane Younger from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath who recently has a paper published suggesting there may be four species of Gentoo penguin, rather than the currently categorised one.
According to the new evidence the birds differ in size and shape and can be told apart by their differing DNA. There is also a longstanding scientific question over whether royal and macaroni penguins are two separate species or if the royal is a subspecies of the macaroni.
Again this is a divisive debate that is still up for discussion. But why is it important to know how many species there are? Well, counting penguins as different species could help with conservation as it would make it easier to catch and monitor population declines. Penguins face various threats in the wild from overfishing and climate change to plastic pollution so it is important to check the health of individual colonies. So the current, widely recognised total currently sits at 18 species, but that could change in the next couple of years.
No matter which side of the iceberg you sit on it is clear there is still much debate to be had in the world of penguin species science. Which just goes to show there is a lot more to these spectacular seabirds than meets the eye. Home Clips. The most precise map ever of movement of the ice sheets across the surface of Antarctic bedrock.
Unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs or drones are valuable scientific instruments in Antarctica but are not toys for tourists. For the upcoming season, the IAATO members have agreed not to allow the recreational use of drones in the coastal areas of Antarctica. In this podcast, we speak to Michael Smith about Tom Crean and his heroic exploits in Antarctica during three of the great polar expeditions, under the leadership of Scott and Shackleton.
Icebergs are created when large chunks of freshwater ice break off Antarctic ice shelves or glaciers and calve into the Southern Ocean. To be classified as an iceberg, the ice extruding from the water must be at least five metres above sea level, be between metres thick, and must cover an area of at least square meters. Icebergs can have a direct effect on the sea bed, scouring the seafloor where it makes contact.
0コメント