Adélie penguin, << uh DAY lee, >> is a medium-sized penguin. It stands about 18 inches (46 centimeters) tall and weighs 8 1/2 to 12 pounds (4 to 5.5 kilograms). It lives in Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean.
An adult Adélie penguin has a black face. The head, back, and tail are also black. The underparts are white. The Adélie penguin has a white ring around the eyes. The beak appears short because nearly half of it is covered in feathers.
The Adélie penguin lives in colonies on the coast of Antarctica or nearby islands. It requires a rocky area free from ice. The colonies may be quite large. The largest colony at Cape Adare, in the Ross Sea, can have more than 300,000 breeding pairs. In winter, the penguins move north into the pack ice that surrounds Antarctica.
The Adélie penguin eats mainly shrimplike animals called krill and other crustaceans—a type of animal with a shell and jointed legs. It also feeds on small fish and some squid. Most of the prey is caught at depths of less than 130 feet (40 meters). The penguin is capable of diving to 575 feet (175 meters).
At sea, the Adélie penguin is hunted by leopard seals and killer whales. Birds called skuas prey on eggs and chicks at the colonies.
The Adélie penguin builds nests from pebbles. The female lays two eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, for a total of up to about 39 days. Chicks leave the colony when they are about 50 days old. The Adélie penguin lives for 10 to 20 years. It starts to breed when it is 5 to 6 years old.
