Chinstrap Penguin
Other names include ringed penguin, bearded penguin, and stonecracker penguin, due to its loud, harsh call. They grow to a length of 68–76 cm and a weight of 3.2–5.3 kg, with the weight varying with the time of year. Males weigh more and are taller than females. Adult's flippers are black with a white edge; the inner sides of the flippers are white. The face is white extending behind the eyes, which are reddish-brown; the chin and throat are white, as well, while the short bill is black.
The strong legs and the webbed feet are pink. Its short, stumpy legs give it a distinct waddle when it walks. The chinstrap penguin's black back and white underside provide camouflage in the form of countershading when viewed from above or below, helping to avoid detection by its predators.
Habitat
The species is distributed across Antarctic and southern part of Pacific Ocean, living along coastlines as well as on islands and icebergs.
Diet
Chinstrap penguins are carnivores (piscivores). They have a very simple diet, typically consisting of aquatic animals such as small fish and roaming marine crustaceans, including krill.
Breeding
These penguins are normally monogamous. Every year, they come to the same breeding grounds, forming large colonies of up to 100,000 pairs. Usually, males return about 5 days before females in order to prepare the nest. They try to find the cavity in the rock, which served them as a nest during the previous breeding season. Finding the nesting site, the male rebuilds and fixes it, using rocks and bones. Mating season lasts from November to December. Typically, two eggs are laid and incubated for 37 days. Both the male and the female participate in incubating, taking turns in every six days. The hatchlings remain in the nest with their parents, until they reach the age of 1 month, joining a crèche of other chicks. Then, after around 7 - 9 weeks, when the young molt, attaining their adult plumage and, they are ready to go out to sea.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, they are classed as Least Concern(LC). The estimated number of mature individuals is at 8 million. The species expanded its range and its population in the mid-20th century, potentially owing to increased prey (krill) availability. It is currently decreasing at most sites on the Antarctic Peninsula, except at the southern extreme of its range where it is increasing. It is stable at South Sandwich Island. The population trend is unknown at many other locations.
Threats
Climate change is potentially the greatest threat to this species at present and in the future. It is thought to impact reproductive success through incurring changes in abundance and distribution of krill, though these effects have been noted only in parts of the range. Changes in krill biomass and availability resulting from habitat shifts are thought to be driving rapid declines at a number of colonies. In addition, there is considerable overlap between the expanding krill fishery and the species’ foraging distribution, hence there is potential for resource competition, potentially aggravating the climatic effects on krill availability. Volcanic activity during the 2016 moulting season at Zavodovski and Bristol in the South Sandwich Islands could have had severe impacts on the large colonies residing there, and surveys of the breeding colonies at the South Sandwich Islands should be repeated. If large numbers are found to have been killed by the volcanic event, and if declines elsewhere on the Antarctic Peninsula continue, the species may warrant uplisting. Human impacts potentially include disturbance from tourists, scientists, construction of new science facilities and fisheries. However, only a very small percentage of the global population is exposed to human intrusion and there is currently no documented evidence of population-level impacts.
Conservation
Conservation Actions Underway
Long-term monitoring programmes are in place at several breeding colonies. In the Antarctic, visitor site guidelines specify minimum approach distances of 5 meters and off-limit areas.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue/extend long-term monitoring of breeding colonies. Monitoring studies of chinstrap populations must include annual censuses, dietary and foraging studies, reproductive research, and demographic data. Currently, this information is available only from the South Shetland Islands and intermittently from the South Orkney Islands and the Palmer Archipelago. Establish similar research efforts in the South Sandwich Islands and increase research efforts in the South Orkney Islands. Gather data from the edge of the species range at South Georgia and along the Antarctic Peninsula near the southern extent of this species’ distribution. Collect information from all of these main breeding regions on distribution and diet during the non-breeding winter period. Minimize disturbance to breeding colonies. Protection of habitat on land and at sea remains important, with the designation of appropriate protection for transit, foraging and rafting areas at sea.