Climate change threatens to starve penguins

2010-01-04 18:46 BJT

Conservationists in the Falkland Islands, 700 miles from mainland Antarctica, have launched a plan to monitor climate change on the island's penguin population.

The Falklands are home to at least four types of penguins, Rock Hoppers, Magellanics, Gentoos, and King penguins. The island attracts hundreds of tourists every year, a vital facet of the local economy.

Conservationists fear that penguin colonies are under threat as climate change depletes sources of food. Starvation killed some 100 King penguin chicks in 2009. Under the plan, conservationists will count every bird in a bid to determine how to preserve the colonies.

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Conservationists in the Falkland Islands, 700 miles from mainland Antarctica, have launched a plan to monitor climate change on the island's penguin population.

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Penguins
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Magellanic chick flapping his wings

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An Emperor penguin chick embryo inside its egg after about one week's gestation. Read more:

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This Week's Pencognito!

Please visit Jen and all the pengies here!

Cal Academy of Sciences Penguins

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Museum gotta see 'EM!

January 01, 2010, 02:16 AM

Alexander M. Kallis South African penguins Brenton, Pete and Jahzara gather for their morning feeding at the California Academy of Sciences. Brenton has figured out that it is more productive for him to take fish directly from the bucket than to wait for his share from the keeper. They are cute and always ready for a formal occasion. The South African penguins are understandably one of the most popular attractions at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Comfortably ensconced and easy to see in the African Hall, the penguins are especially animated during their 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. mealtimes. Watch the birds dip and dive in their tank as a biologist dons a wet suit and hands out vitamin-stuffed herring and capelin. Each feeding takes 10 minutes and questions are encouraged. Children who want to learn more about these intriguing animals should attend the Penguin Show & Tell every Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. This chance to meet Pierre, Howard, Ocio and the rest of the African penguin colony is specifically designed for children ages 12 and under. Free after museum admission. The California Academy of Sciences is located at 55 Music Concourse Drive in Golden Gate Park. Free admission on the third Wednesday of every month, courtesy of The Bernard Osher Foundation, is on a first come, first served basis, and early arrival is recommended due to the likelihood of high demand. For information call (415) 379-8000 or visit www.calacademy.org. Source

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Naptime
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Happy New Year, Everyone!!!!

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falkland islands 121 copy
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Penguins on parade at the St. Louis Zoo

KSDK -- Wednesday's weather set the perfect scene for the Penguin Parade at the St. Louis Zoo.
The penguins took a break from swimming at the Penguin and Puffin Coast to join zoo visitors outdoors, much to the delight of the crowd.

Zookeepers say the penguins can take a stroll outside anytime the weather is below 50 degrees.
The penguins go on parade every Sunday at 2 p.m. through February 28, weather permitting.
KSD





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Family makes a snow penguin--Image of the day (yesterday's)

Marlys and Loran Haiby, Breckenridge, hosted their family for Christmas this year. Their daughter, April Maldonado, and her husband, Omar, gathered their children and cousins three days ago to work on a large snow penguin in the front yard. From left, cousin, Andrew Haiby, 12, children Adreanne Penn, 15, Christian, 8, Solis, 2, April and Omar.

photo by Anna Jauhola 

 

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21 Penguin Chicks Born At SeaWorld

Baby Penguins Born Represent 3 Different Species

POSTED: 1:17 pm PST December 29, 2009

SAN DIEGO -- Nearly two dozen penguin chicks have been born at SeaWorld in San Diego since mid-November, representing three different species, it was announced Tuesday.The 21 penguin chicks, which range from 5-50 days old, represent the Adelie, gentoo and macaroni species, according to SeaWorld.Some of the chicks are being raised by their parents in the Penguin Encounter exhibit at SeaWorld, while others are being hand-reared in a nursery.

All of the penguin babies will go into the Penguin Encounter exhibit when they have their waterproof feathers or juvenile plumage at about 6-12 weeks, according to SeaWorld. The chicks will be ready to swim and join the adult penguins in the water when they are three months old.Since 1980, more than 500 penguin chicks have been hatched at SeaWorld.

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P-p-p-picture perfect penguins

Sleeping beauties: P-p-p-picture perfect penguin chicks take a break on the ice

By Claire Bates
Last updated at 8:05 AM on 01st January 2010


It's a hard life being a penguin chick. Born into an icy world where temperatures plunge to -40C with wind speeds up to 89mph, the youngsters must fend off predatory giant petrels from the air and leopard seals in the sea.
Perhaps that is why these three are so exhausted. They belong to a colony near Snow Hill Island along the Antarctic Peninsula, which was first visited by humans only five years ago.

'It was common to see several chicks huddled together dozing off, one using the flipper of another for a head-rest or a flipper lying across the head of its uncaring neighbour'

American wildlife photographer David C Schultz captured the intimate portrait of a penguin nursery or rookery during a trip to the region.
'It looks chaotic when you approach the rookeries. Then you start to spot small groups of chicks huddled together trying to stay awake,' he told the Mail Online.

'They are comical even when they're sleeping. I often saw chicks dozing off, one using the flipper of another for a head-rest or laying a flipper across the head of an uncaring neighbour.'
Mr Schultz, 53, added: 'There was constant noise at the site as well, with chicks calling out for attention for another meal.'
Emperor penguins are a particularly noisy bunch as the species has no fixed nest sites. Therefore the penguins rely on their voices to locate their families on the ice and have the widest range of calls of any penguin species.

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Emperor Penguins chicks must call to their parents for food as they don't have set nest locations. The species is incredibly curious and will approach visiting humans

The birds are so unused to humans that they react with simple curiosity when scientists or photographers approach them.
'On numerous occasions I’d be sitting a distance away from the rookery and a brave chick of the crèche would start to venture my way, followed shortly afterwards by the rest of the gang,' Mr Schultz said.

'I left one of my cameras set up on a tripod and backed away as they approached me, just to see what would happen. The result was no gear being damaged and several very funny images as they tried to work out what it was.'

Who's he? The Emperor Penguins were not bothered by photographers in their midst, David Schultz said.

Mr Schultz also witnessed touching scenes of family life during his visit at the end of October. Emperor penguins remain faithful to their breeding partner following courtship in the spring, although they often change partners from one year to the next.

'When I visited the chicks were about three months old and are being watched after by either the male or female adult, sometimes both,' he said.

'The female lays a single egg and hands it over to the male. He cradles the egg on his feet until it hatches about nine weeks later. Meanwhile the female makes the long trek back to the open sea to feed so she can bring back the chick’s first meal.
'It’s a bit late to see chicks still tucked away under the adults brood pouch, but we did spot a few. 

'The parents are very protective of their chick and I did see several thwarted attempts of an adult trying to steal a chick away from its parent. They will do this if their chick has died or if the egg never hatches.'
Chicks begin moulting into juvenile plumage from early November, which takes up to two months and is often not completed by the time they leave the colony.

All the birds make the considerably shorter trek to the sea in December or January and spend the rest of the summer feeding there.

Mr Schultz captured intimate family moments when visiting the hardy birds. Adult pairs will raise just one chick a year

Mr Schultz joined an expedition on board a Russian icebreaker to reach the wonderful creatures. The team travelled by boat and helicopter followed by a two-mile hike across the sea ice. But the photographer said the trip was undoubtedly worth it.
'Along with the dramatic landscape, with mountains towering straight out of the ocean, you find yourself surrounded by wildlife.
'The feather patterns on the adults make for wonderful detail shots and when they puff out their chest and let out a call, heads stretched skyward, the sunlight just glows off their shiny coats.'
Despite having plenty of subjects to choose from, setting up a perfect shot could take some work.

Happy feet: Baby penguins follow Mr Schultz as he tries to set up his 'perfect shot'

'Early one day I spotted a beautifully curved hole in an iceberg which had been frozen in place for the winter,' Mr Schultz said.

'I thought later in the day when there was better light it could be used to frame a group of penguin chicks
'So I sat on the ice by the nearby rookery and waited. It didn’t take long for several penguins, mostly chicks, to approach me. As they drew closer I slowly backed away, leading the penguins towards the spot I had selected.
'It took more than an hour and in the end I had about forty penguins following me to the iceberg.

'I stood and quickly moved around to the other side of the berg only to find that there were way too many birds now to make a nicely composed image. So I waited. Slowly they began to disperse until a single adult remained at which time I got one of my favorite images from the entire trip.'

David Schultz (right) spent a day setting up his favourite shot of the expedition through a hole in the ice (left)

This world of ice is far away from the gallery Mr Schultz runs among the desert plains of Utah. The photographer said he wanted to travel the world from the age of 13 after he was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He was advised against a career that would make him dependent on his eyesight but this just made him determined to see as much of the world as he could.
His particular interest in Antarctica was piqued after reading about Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition aboard the ship Endurance.
'The story was of course incredible,' he said.
'But for me the photographs that Frank Hurley returns with was what got me hooked.'

The latest expedition was Mr Schultz's fourth to the isolated continent and he hopes to return to this magical world one day soon.
For more information about David C Schultz's work visit his website at westlight.net

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