Penguin parents practice by incubating egg-shaped stone

29 October 2014 

 

A pair of penguins are preparing for parenthood by sitting on an egg-shaped stone at Dudley Zoo.
Keepers have discovered the pair taking it in turns to incubate the rock.

A pair of penguins are preparing for parenthood by sitting on an egg-shaped stone at Dudley Zoo. Credit: Dudley Zoo

Humboldt penguins pair for life and will lay eggs in the same nesting boxes year-on-year, with both the male and female taking it in turns to incubate eggs for between 40 – 42 days, as well as sharing food-finding duties when the chick is born.

Gentoo penguins are the species normally associated with rocks, as they will pass stones to one another as a token of their affection, but I have seen some other Humboldts do this before as well as other bird species such as owls; it’s as if they are practising for the real event.”

– DZG Curator, Matt Lewis

Last updated Wed 29 Oct 2014

 

source