Adélie penguins
Adelie penguin constructing a pebble nesting mound
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Adélie penguins breed around the entire coast of Antarctica in places where there is exposed rock.
They travel large distances in winter, but always remain within the pack ice region.
The Adélie penguin's Latin name is Pygoscelis adeliae. It is closely related to two other penguins, the Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and the Chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica).
Males and females are of similar size and are difficult to tell apart without internal examination.
Adélie penguins breed between October and March on areas of rock in colonies of varying size. They start breeding at 3-5 years of age and live up to 20 years.
They make nests out of small stones, lay two eggs, and raise up to two chicks per nest, depending on food availability. Chicks are about two months old when they fledge.
Males and females share incubation and chick rearing duties almost equally.
Adélie penguins feed mainly on krill (Euphausia crystallorophias and E. superba), but will also eat fish, squid and other crustaceans.
Breeding adults travel between 5 and 120 km offshore to catch food for their chicks. Feeding trips range from 5 to 72 hours in duration.
Adélie penguins are capable of diving to depths of up to 175m but usually feed within the upper 70m of the water column.
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