The Chinstrap Penguin | Articles of Interest for Travelers to The Antarctic
The Chinstrap Penguin
Nine pounds and between two and three feet tall at adulthood, the Chinstrap penguin is the smallest and one of the most plentiful of the penguin species found in regions of the Antarctic, dwelling on sub-Antarctic islands and icebergs. It derives its name from the horizontal thin black line that crosses its white face below the beak resembling, well a chin strap. Its body is black with white front and feet. The species is also referred to as the stone-cracker penguin because of the loud sound it makes. Chinstraps subsist mainly on krill and spend less time diving deeply than other penguins that dwell in sub-Antarctic regions.
Return to Previous Page
-
Chinstraps breed later than most other penguin species, arriving at their breeding grounds before the end of October through the first week of November. They seek out cliffs and climb hundreds of feet to build nests of stones, generally laying two eggs between the end of November and the end of December. Visitors on Antarctica tours who get to observe Chinstraps may also see Gentoos and Adelies, since Chinstraps tolerate these species in their midst. The former breeds to the north, and the latter to south, of the Chinstrap. Chicks are born from mid-January to mid-February. By April, Chinstrap chicks are on their way to independence.
-
Over half of all Chinstraps are found in the uninhabited South Sandwich Islands located 400 miles southeast of South Georgia Island. The largest population, estimated at over a million pairs, is found on the northerly volcanic Zavodovski Island of the Traversay Island group. The Chinstrap is endemic to the South Shetland Islands. One of the world’s largest colonies is located at Baily Head on the southwest shore of volcanic Deception Island at the southwest end of the chain. The island is located on the edge of the Bransfield Strait that separates the islands from the Antarctic Peninsula. Hundreds of thousands of Chinstraps are found here at a site accessible to visitors on Antarctica tours.
-
Argentina and Spain operate seasonal research stations on Deception Island. Besides offering the opportunity to observe penguins, the island is also a popular destination during Antarctica tours. The thermal waters and steaming volcanic beaches here allow for bathing suit attire, an exotic experience for vacationers who travel to Antarctica.
-
Smaller colonies of Chinstraps are found near Elephant Island’s Cape Lookout, located about eighty-five miles northeast of the South Shetlands’ King George Island and on nearby Chabrier Rock and Shag Island, islets in Admiralty Bay. The species is endemic to the South Orkney Islands, 375 miles northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Several different breeding colonies exist here, one at Cape Geddes on Laurie Island and another on Signy Island, where the species is studied at the British Antarctic Survey Station. Some 400,000 pairs of Chinstraps have been recorded here.
-
The total population of Chinstraps has been estimated at some seven million.
