Adelie Penguin Facts for Kids

The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is found in the southern side of the Antarctica. It shares its habitat with other species such as south polar skua, snow petrel, emperor penguin, and Antarctic petrel.

Adelie penguins stand 46 to 71 cm tall and weighs as much as 7.9 to 13.2 pounds.

Unique among its features is that it has white ring that circles the eye. They have red-colored bill. Adelie penguins have relatively longer tails.

Adelie penguins make breeding habitats in ice-free areas which are abundant in rocks. They make habitats on the coastlines so that they must not walk long distances in search of food.

They live in small islands adelie penguin factswhich occur on coastlines. The largest population of adelie penguins is however in Ross Sea.

Like other penguins adelie penguins are also carnivores. They will feed on Antarctic krill, sea krill, Antarctic silverfish, glacial squid, and ice krill.

They are able to swim at a speed of 5 miles per hour.

Adelie penguins usually travel 8,100 miles each year. The longest distance they ever traveled is estimated at 10,900 miles a year.

The penguin will breed in October to February. The female lays 2 eggs in a nest built of stones. They incubate (warm) the eggs for 32 – 34 days.

Adelie penguin’s chicks will leave their nest when they become 22 days old. However they will not begin foraging journey until 55 – 60 days age.

The average lifespan of adelie penguins is about 11 – 20 years in the wild.

Predators of adelie penguins are leopard seals, killer whales, and skuas.

The total population size of an adelie penguin is about 3.79 million in the world. Lately climate change has affected the adelie penguin’s population reducing the size by 65% over the last two decades.