Chinstrap Penguin Facts

You may have seen penguins featured in many wildlife documentaries on NatGeo. Of these many types of penguins, one easily identifiable bird is the chinstrap penguin. These small penguins inhabit the rocky islands of Antarctic ocean. They form the second largest colony of Antarctica and sub- Antarctic penguins after the Gentoo penguins. In the following paragraphs, we shall have a look at some of the chinstrap penguin facts for kids that will help you know more about these birds.

Chinstrap Penguin Facts for Kids

The chinstrap penguins breed in large colonies. There are about 13 million birds living in one colony. Of these, it is estimated there are about 7 million breeding pairs. The following chinstrap penguin facts will help you learn more about these interesting creatures.

Chinstrap Penguin Facts ~ Habitat
The chinstrap penguin habitat consists of the barren rocky islands of sub-Antarctic and Antarctic peninsula. They are found living on icebergs formed in the open ocean. Their large colonies are mainly concentrated on the coast of South Orkneys, South Shetlands and South Sandwich islands. Some of them even breed on the Balleny Islands of south New Zealand.

Chinstrap Penguin Facts ~ Appearance
The chinstrap penguin is called so because of the distinctive thin curved line of black feathers that runs down and under the chin. The color of these penguins is blue-black on the back and white on the front. They have dense feathers that helps protect them from severe cold and even make them waterproof. The bill of these birds is black in color and they have red eyes. These penguins are about 28 inches in height and weigh about 3.5 to 5 kg. They weigh more during the molting season and weight the lightest during brooding. The chinstrap penguins are also called 'stone cracker penguins'. This is because they have a really high-pitched call. These penguins can swim at the speed of 20mph. They tend to do a 'toboggan' when they land back on the ground. This means they use their feet and flippers to push their bodies along their stomach on land.

Chinstrap Penguin Facts ~ Diet
The chinstrap penguins are carnivorous birds and hunt many fish species. They hunt krill, crustacean as well as small fish in the waters around the chinstrap penguin habitat. They love eating crabs, squid, different types of fish, etc. They use their sharp beaks to break open the shells of crustaceans and eat the soft meat inside. The baby chinstrap penguins generally do not dive in the water for food. Their parents hunt down food and bring it back to the land to feed the chicks. They are more shore feeders than open sea hunters.

Chinstrap Penguin Facts ~ Breeding
Chinstrap penguins mate and build their nest from stones. There nest is about 15 inches in diameter and height. The mother penguin lays two eggs and both parents take turns to incubate their eggs. After about 5 to 6 weeks, the chicks begin to hatch. However, these baby penguins do not leave the nest just yet. They remain in the nest for another 30 days. The baby penguins have a gray colored back and white front body. When the baby penguin is about 7 to 9 weeks old, it begins to molt. Soon, it begins to grow adult plumage and get the courage to venture out into the wide sea.

Chinstrap Penguin Facts ~ Predators
The chinstrap penguins tend to live in a region, that does not support many large animals. However, there are a few predators of the white land that tend to hunt down these small birds for food. These animals include the leopard seals, killer whales and sometimes, a shark passing by won't mind taking a bite of these small penguins.

Interesting Chinstrap Penguin Facts for Kids

• The chinstrap penguin is known by different names. These include the stone cracker penguins, ringed penguin and also bearded penguins.
• One of the boldest penguins of all is the chinstrap penguin. Although small in size, they have the courage to fight off larger penguin species. They are known as the most aggressive penguin species of all.
• Chinstrap penguins are not considered to be migratory birds. This is because they do not leave their colonies in March through early May to move north in winter.

These were some chinstrap penguin facts that will help you know more about these birds. There are millions of these birds living in really large colonies along the Antarctic ocean. The most pugnacious species of all penguins, the chinstrap penguins are quite an interesting lot.