Arrival and Courting

Each year, during October and November, Adélie penguins travel southwards to their breeding colonies along the Antarctic coast. After spending six months over winter feeding in the Antarctic pack ice, Adélie penguins arrive at their breeding colonies for the summer. Returning to the same nest site and the same mate each year, they build nests out of small rocks before courting and mating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adelie Penguins Courting

Adelie Penguins Nest Building

Adelie Penguins Mating

Egg Laying and Incubation

Adélie penguin eggs are laid during November. The female Adélie penguins lay two eggs before heading out to sea to feed. The eggs, incubated for a total of 34 days, are incubated by the male Adélie penguins for the first 15-20 days while the females recover from egg-lay. Following this, the male and female Adélie penguins take turns incubating the eggs until the chicks hatch. Each off-duty bird spends time feeding at sea to regain the weight it has lost during courtship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adelie Penguins Egg Laying

Brood Stage

Adélie penguin chicks hatch in mid to late December. They are fed and guarded by their parents who swap over every couple of days in alternating shifts. As one parent guards the chick, the other parent returns to sea to catch krill, fish and amphipods which they then regurgitate for the chicks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adelie Penguins Brooding

Crèche stage

By mid January, the 3-week-old Adélie penguin chicks are big enough to be left on their own. As their appetite is growing, both parents leave their chicks simultaneously to collect food for them. The chicks group together in 'crèches' for protection and warmth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adelie Penguins Creche