World Penguin Day 2020
World Penguin Day is celebrated to honour penguins, one of the world’s most unique birds. It coincides with the annual northern migration of the Adelie penguins, which are endemic to Antarctica. Adelie penguins migrate north during the winter in search of food. Then, before summer, Adelie’s return to Antarctica for nesting and breeding season. World Penguin day initiated by the resident scientists working at McMurdo Station, an American research centre on Ross Island.
Why do we celebrate World Penguin Day?
This day is an education initiative to encourage people to learn more about penguins. In addition, to raise awareness of their decreasing population. The decreasing penguin population is mainly due to human activities. Such as climate change, ocean pollution, oil spills, overfishing, illegal egg harvesting, the introduction of predators. Penguins also have natural predators. These are skuas, caracaras, and sheathbills—these birds are predatory birds that prey on penguin eggs and young chicks.
Penguin facts:
There are 18 species of penguins, 11 of which are Globally Threatened (WWF, IUCN). Penguins are aquatic, flightless birds. They live mainly in the cooler climates of the Southern hemisphere (Antarctic Coastline, sub-Antarctic Islands, Falkland Islands, and New Zealand).
Penguins spend half their life divided between land and sea. The penguin’s diet is mainly fish, krill, and squid, which they catch during deep-water diving. Their coat has short overlapping waterproof feathers. Beneath their outer feathers, is a layer of fat, which provides excellent insulation for swimming in the freezing waters. Their feet and tails act as rudders, and their flippers act as propellers.
Why don’t penguins fly?
Some evidence suggests that penguins once did fly. However, over time their wings became shorter, the bones fused and flattened and formed into flippers. Penguins are aquatic birds who spend up to 75% of their lives in the water, swimming, fishing, and migrating during their feeding require strong flippers. It is due to evolution they eventually lost their ability to fly. Their strong flippers assist for survival and swimming, diving, and fleeing from their sea predators; leopard seals, killer whales, and sea lions. Penguins can swim up to 24 km/h and dive down to 15 metres.
Penguins waddle along, swaying from side to side due to having heavy bodies and short legs. They also walk this way to conserve energy. At times they will toboggan along the ice and snow on their bellies.
Their black and white ‘tuxedo’ colouring serves as a vital camouflage in the water, known as countershading. Their black back blend into the dark hues of the deep ocean. From below, their white belly blends into the light surface waters.
Penguins live in very harsh climates. Their feathers help regulate their body temperature, protect against the elements, and provide insulation while swimming in the icy waters. They spend many hours during the day preening their feathers to ensure they are in good condition. The oil gland at the base of their tail secretes a water-repelling and microbial deterrant oil that is dispersed over their body during their preening to ensure their feathers are waterproof.
Most penguins will breed in colonies of up to 1000 birds. Others, however, will make their nests with pebbles, sticks, and feathers on the ground in burrows. Emperor and King penguins incubate a single egg. They will keep it on the top of their feet under a loose fold of skin, keeping the egg warm.
In some species, the male will incubate the egg. Meanwhile, the female goes off to hunt for food, often for weeks at a time. Both parents share incubation and rearing their hatchling until it is old enough to hunt for their own food. It can take around 7-12 months before hatchlings are mature enough.
Penguins face many critical dangers despite their strong, robust bodies, large colonies, and ability to survive in harsh, remote environments.
THREATS
Human behaviour has the most detrimental effect on penguins’ environment and major cause their decline in numbers.
Overfishing
Penguins rely on fish and krill as their primary food source. Fishing in or near penguins feeding grounds depletes their food supply. Many penguins get caught up in fishermen’s nets and fishing lines resulting in severe injuries and or drowning. Fishing boats leaking fuel and other pollutants into the water affects their habitat.
Climate change
Changing ocean temperatures e.g. warming temperatures melting ice reduces penguin habitats for breeding areas.
Oil spills
Since penguins spend most of their lives at sea, oil spills and other oceanic pollutants can be devastating for penguins. Large cruise ships spilling oil and dumping rubbish out at sea causing pollution.
Invasive species
Introduced cats, rats, mice, rabbits, and dogs all contribute to a decline in penguins, their eggs, and young chicks.
Tourism
Tourists coming too close to penguin colonies, causes penguins to flee off nests leaving their eggs and chicks unguarded. Consequently, the eggs and chicks become targets for predators to steal their eggs and chicks.
Poaching
Penguin hunting and egg poaching.
Lack of research
More research is needed. Being aware of major threats to penguins enables appropriate conservation measures to be implemented.
Conservation status
Many penguin species are endangered, and their population is decreasing. This can which can lead to extinction. For example, the African penguin and the Galapagos penguin are considered endangered. Other species of penguins are on the cusp of becoming endangered. Emperor, and Adelie penguins, both of which live in Antarctica. Education and raising awareness is essential for penguins survival. Therefore, it is important to choose ethical penguin viewing tours. Keeping a distance from breeding colonies not to scare or disrupt penguin colonies. Support local penguin research and conservation programs. Sponsor a penguin.
Happy World Penguin Day 2020
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