Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)

The Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is perhaps the most familiar of all Antarctic penguin species. The Adelie was named after the wife of French polar explorer, Dumont d'Urville (his wife's name was Adelie). Adelies are on average smaller than all other species of penguins.

Adelie penguins are known to form large colonies, sometimes consisting of more than 200,000 pairs of birds. They breed on rocky coasts and islands where each mating pair constructs a nest made out of stones. In early November, the female lays two light-green eggs and the parents take turns incubating the egg and foraging for food in the sea. (Burnie and Wilson 2001, 267).

The color pattern of Adelie penguins is the classic penguin pattern. Adelies have a bright white belly and chest which contrasts sharply with their black back, wings, and head. Adelie penguins have white rings around their eyes. Adelies grow to heights of 46-61cm and weights of 4-5.5kg. The plummage of both sexes is similar.

The Adelie penguin population is considered stable and is perhaps increasing. There are an estimated 2 to 2.6 million pairs. Because the Adelie population is dependent on the abundance of krill in the seas surrounding Antarctica, scientists use these birds as indicator species to gauge the health of the waters around the earth's southernmost landmass.

Where to See: Adelie penguins inhabit rocky coasts, ice floes, and islands along the coastline of Antarctica. They forage in the waters surrounding Antarctica. Their distribution is circumpolar.