Posted by jblum under
Palmer Station
The penguin chicks are hatching! Newly hatched Adelie chicks can be seen on some of our surrounding islands. To get out of the egg, chicks first use their
egg tooth to make a hole in the egg. An egg tooth is a small, white, sharp bump that is located on the end of the bill. That first hole in the egg is called a pip. When we see a pipped egg, we know that (on average) the chick will emerge from the shell within about 24 to 48 hours. In a couple of weeks, the egg tooth disappears. During the first few days after hatching, the chicks spend most of their time completely tucked under the adults because they are very small and can barely hold their heads up; thus, in order to see them, we must patiently watch until the adults stand up and move around. Newly hatched adelie chicks are typically silver-gray in color, with a darker gray head. The chicks usually get fed right away, but can also go for a few days without being fed because they are still being nourished by their
yolk sac.
Adelie penguin pair with newly hatched chick; part of the shell can still be seen in the nest
A close-up of a newly-hatched adelie chick; note the small white bump (the egg tooth) on the end of the bill
An adult adelie feeds his chick; the mate is standing next to the nest, very clean and white as she just returned from a foraging trip. The underside of her flippers appear pink because there is a lot of blood flowing through her flippers; this is another indication she has recently been swimming.
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