Gentoo Penguins Get a Head-Start for the Mating Season
The romantic and sometimes challenging dating season is on at the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid®. Multiple courtship behaviors were recently witnessed among the Gentoo penguins indicating the early start of the breeding season at the South Atlantic exhibit at the Aquarium Pyramid. Among the five species of over 100 penguins at Moody Gardens, Gentoo penguins are the first to start nesting and were one of the most reproducing species in the years past.
Penguin Courtship Behaviors: What Are They Doing And What Does It Mean?
• Season: The Gentoo breeding season is spring to summer in the Southern hemisphere meaning fall and winter on our side of the globe
• Precious Stones: Males collect rocks to build nests to impress the females. They carry the rocks with their beaks
• The Bachelor Pad: Males are territorial to defend the nesting sites
• Head-swing & squawk: A male attracts females and show possession of a nest
• Double head-swing & squawk: A pair strengthen the bond
• Respectful Bow: A potential couple acknowledges each other and lessens aggression
• Apparel: Tuxedo-clad penguins are always prepared and looking sharp for date nights.
Penguin Courtship Facts: Did You Know?
Guys always ask girls out
Males usually build a nest, and then find a mate.
Girls rule
Females determine with whom to mate.
Monogamy: You are a keeper
Ninety percent of Gentoo females go back to the same mates each year.
Thanks, but no thanks
Females won’t return to the same males if breeding is unsuccessful in the previous season.
Breeding: Then What?
Gentoo penguin couples will later lay eggs in the established nests. Females often lay up to two eggs at a time, but the first egg laid is usually larger than the second. Eggs usually take four weeks to hatch.
Other Penguin Facts: What Is a Gentoo Penguin Anyway?
Name: Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua
Name trivia: Gentoo penguins get their name from the inhabitants of India who wore cotton caps resembling the white band across the penguin's head.
Physical Characteristics: Gentoo penguins stand between 30-35 inches tall and weigh up to 14 pounds. Their eyes are red in color and ringed with white feathers. They also have a white patch of feathers above each eye that extends over their head. Their feet are orange, and their beak is black in color with a vibrant orange colored "swish."
Habitat: These penguins can be found around the world on sub-Antarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Diet: Gentoo penguins eat a variety of marine animals, including fish and krill.
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