Home >> Science & Nature >> Animals & Science

Life Stages of Penguins

Aspects of a penguin's life cycle, such as breeding season, egg shape and type of nest can vary greatly, depending on species and location. For example, the materials used for nest-building can range from pebbles to vegetation. Some penguins nest in burrows of cracks in rocks. Other penguins, such as the emperor penguin, do not use nests at all. However, the stages of a penguin's life are same regardless of species. All penguins begin life as an egg and hatch as chicks before developing into adults and reproducing themselves.

Egg
- A clutch of penguin eggs may contain one or two eggs, but the majority of penguin species produce two eggs, as this increases the chance of one chick surviving. The size, shape and color of penguin eggs also vary between species. Male penguins incubate the eggs by holding them on top of their feet under a warm fold of skin, while the female hunts for food. On her return, the pair will switch roles, and the female will incubate the egg and gain energy from fat supplies while the male hunts for food. Eggs may be incubated for between one and two months, depending on species. Once it is ready to hatch, the chick pierces the egg with its beak and gradually chips away at the shell for up to three days until it is fully hatched.
Chick
- A newly hatched penguin chick is covered in downy feathers, which may be gray, black or brown in color, depending on species. While these feathers play a part in keeping the chicks warm, parents will continue to keep them warm while they are very young with the same fold of skin that they used to incubate the egg. Juvenile penguin feathers are not waterproof, so the chick must remain on land until it gains its adult feathers. Both parents feed their own chicks with regurgitated food. Chicks have a great deal of growing to do and require constant feeding at this stage. For example, a newly hatched emperor penguin chick may weigh little more than 5 oz. At full size, emperor penguins can weigh as much as 66 lbs.
Adult Penguin
- Once a chick has lost its downy feathers and gained its waterproof adult feathers, it is able to hunt for its own food and is no longer reliant on its parents. The time it takes to gain these adult feathers can be as soon as seven weeks or as long as 13 months, depending on species. Adult penguins do not reproduce until they are between 3 and 8 years old. Larger penguin species tend to reach sexual maturity later in life than the smaller species do.
Reproduction
- Female penguins choose male mates and it is up to the male to attract a female, often by calling to them and strutting around. Penguin mates are often monogamous and may return to breed with each other year after year. Most penguin species breed once each year in a breeding season beginning in spring or summer. However, the little penguin can breed all year round, and species such as the king penguin may only breed twice over a period of three years, as its breeding cycle can be as long as 16 months.

Animals & Science