Emperor penguins in the Antarctic are suffering a “catastrophic” breeding failure as the region’s sea ice vanishes, pointing to a grim future for a species highly susceptible to the impacts of climate, a new study has found. Researchers used satellite imagery to find that chicks in four out of five emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colonies […]
Tag: penguins
Emperor penguins: thousands of chicks in Antarctica die due to record-low sea ice levels
Thousands of emperor penguin chicks across four colonies in Antarctica are believed to have died because of record-low sea ice levels that caused a “catastrophic breeding failure” in late 2022, according to new research. Analysis of satellite images showed the break-up of usually stable sea ice and the disappearance of the colonies at a time […]
Urgent Measures Needed to Prevent Extinction of African Penguins
A dire warning has been issued: the African penguins, who once flourished along the southern African coastlines, are perilously close to extinction. If immediate and comprehensive measures are not taken to address the factors driving their decline, these iconic birds could vanish by 2035. The rapid decline in their numbers is a stark reminder of […]
Scientists: Fishing boats compete with whales and penguins for Antarctic krill
Two huge fishing vessels make their way through the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, passing among a pod of dozens of whales while slowly hauling on board bulging nets hundreds of meters long. The scene recalls a bygone era before commercial whaling was banned. Now, however, the vessels are not fishing whales but whale […]
New Extinct Little Penguin Species Discovered
Researchers in New Zealand have discovered the fossilized remains of a new species of the extinct little penguin. The new species of penguin was discovered after scientists examined two penguin skulls. One belonged to an adult and the other to a juvenile member of the newly identified species. The extinct species is related to the […]
Baby Penguin Got Lost in the Crowd Due to Its Curiosity
Gratifying curiosity is natural for toddlers — both humans and animals. It’s normal for children to question everything they see in their surroundings. Sometimes they will focus on one object until they lose interest in it. Kids would really go anywhere to find answers. Every day is a mini adventure. The earlier years are the […]
They survived the hunters: now king penguins face climate change
Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the thousands of king penguins that densely congregate on the remote Possession Island each year now face a new threat: climate change. The birds spend most of their life at sea, but come breeding time in December half the world’s population flock to the islands in the southern […]
Will shipping noise nudge Africa’s only penguin toward extinction?
CAPE TOWN — Seabird ranger Eduard Drost was busy with a routine inspection in an African penguin colony off the South African coast in 2021 when he noticed a troubling number of sickly birds. “Some were emaciated, especially the chicks,” he recalls. “Their chest and hip bones were sticking out. Their bellies were flat, not […]