Gentoo Penguin and Chick, Brabant Island

Gentoo penguin nests are found along rocky uninhabited shorelines. Nest building is an ongoing activity as penguins constantly fight over stones and steal them from each other’s nests. Chicks are fed krill by both parents. The chicks stay in the nest for about a month. During this time nursery groups, called cr´eches allow parents to take turns hunting for food and not leave their babies untended. Perhaps this is where the idea for day-care originated! Ater about three months (usually in January) the chicks grow their adult feathers and go out on their own. Chicks that survive go off to sea and return to their colony of origin to breed and perpetuate their species. Three-quarters of their lives are spent at sea. They come ashore to nest and raise their young.

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