Gentoo penguins have a wide white stripe that goes across the tops of their heads from one eye to the other. They have a very bright orange beak. They are the largest members of the stiff-tailed family. They live on many of the islands of the Antarctic region but the main colony is on the Falklands. There are about 300,000 breeding pairs on the islands. They live in large and noisy breeding colonies.Their nests are made on the rocky shores. They prefer the inland grasslands for nest building. They carry and pile stones, pebbles, grass, sticks, and anything they can find to make a circle. Gentoos can be very aggressive and will fight over stones or take stones and nest building material away from other birds' nests.
Two eggs are laid inside this circle. Both parents tend to the eggs. The eggs hatch after 34 to 36 days. If there is lots of food, both chicks will survive. The chicks stay in the rock nest for 30 days. Then it forms groups with other chicks called "cr�ches". They stay here while the parents hunt for food. After about 80 to 100 days the chicks grow their adult feathers and they go on their own. Gentoo penguins stand about 30 to 35 inches (75 to 95 centimeters) tall. They can weight about 13 pounds (6 kilometers). They eat mostly krill and some small fish.
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
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