Penguin's life.. 불더스비취(Boulder beach). 케이프타운(Cape Town)

Penguin's life. 불더스비취(Boulder beach).

케이프타운(Cape Town). 남아공(South Africa)

 

Penguin's life - Growing up

 

Nesting

Being unable to fly, penguins must construct their nests on the ground. Nests range

from a shallow scrape in the open to burrows in sand or guano. They are alos quick

to use artificial structures.

 

Breeding space

African Penguins are social breeders and nest in colonies, but defend an area around

the nest site.

 

Chicks

Newborn chicks are covered in down, which is not waterproof. From the age of

about 30 days, both parents go to sea. Youngsters that are left alone often

congregate in creches, mainly for protection.

 

Baby blues

About 60 days after hatching, some chicks are already in full juvenile plumage. The

down is replaced by a waterproof blue-grey plumage in which young penguins will

eventually go to sea. At this age, they are called "baby blue" because of their new

colouring.

 

Adult

After a year or two, baby blues moult and attain their distinctive black-and-white

adult plumage. African Penguins generally only start breeding at about four years of

age.

 

Penguin's life - Survival

 

Moulting

Old worn feathers are replaced during the annual moult. In this period, the birds lose

their waterproofing and are confined to land for about 21 days. African Penguins

"fatten up" before the moult, which is a period of starvation

 

Desalination

Salt glands adjacent to the skull enable penguins to avoid the build up of excess salt

obtained through feeding on fish and drinking salt water.

Salt is expelled through the nostrils and they get rid of concentrated salt by flicking

their beaks.

 

Foraging

African Penguins gather before setting off to hunt fish in groups. Ungainly and

awkward on land, they are superbly designed for life at sea with an ability to swim

at speeds of up to 20 km/hr when chasing fish.

 

Vulnerable

The African Penguin is the only penguin that breeds in Africa, and is restricted to the coastline and seas of Southern Africa. Having undergone a massive decline during

the 20the century, we have a global responsibility to take care of it's future.

 

 

Penguin's life - Getting started

Braying

The ecstatic display of the African Penguin typically involves males advertising their

presence and territory and is accompanied by loud braying, hence their previous

name - Jackass Penguin.

 

Pair bonding

African Penguins mostly have one mate for life and mutual preening helps reinforce

and strengthen the pair bond.

 

Ritualised behaviour

Male African Penguins do not have a special breeding plumage, but do have stylised courtship displays involving dips, bows, stares, calls and mutual preening.

 

Mating

Male African Penguins will attempt to mount a female, but will only succeed if the

female is willing to accept them.

 

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