---
title: "What the sources say about the Adélie Penguin | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "61 claims from the Adélie Penguin profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/adelie-penguin-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/adelie-penguin/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Adélie Penguin (*Pygoscelis adeliae*)

> 61 claims from the Adélie Penguin profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Adélie Penguin](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/adelie-penguin/)

## Adélie penguin. Australian Antarctic Division, Australian Government.

https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/animals/penguins/adelie-penguin/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The pebble-stealing penguin | Stealing rocks from other penguins, that's a major thing that they do. (note: tagline) |
| At 70 cm tall and 3 to 6 kg | Adélie penguins are medium sized penguins, weighing 3 to 6 kg and standing 70 cm tall. |
| is a medium-sized penguin and a very determined long-distance walker | They are also very determined and successful long distance walkers travelling across many kilometres of fast ice on the return journey to their colonies. (note: "many" qualifies the kilometres walked, not the determination; paraphrase) |
| It is one of only 5 penguin species that live on the Antarctic continent | Adélie penguins are one of only 5 species of penguins that live on the Antarctic continent (Adélie, emperor , gentoo , chinstrap and macaroni penguins). |
| it breeds around the entire coast and its small islands, wherever there is exposed rock | Adélie penguins breed around the entire Antarctic coast and small islands in places where there is exposed rock. |
| Adélies have a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years | Adélie penguins have a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years. |
| On the ice an Adélie walks at an average 2.5 km/h | Their walking speed on ice averages 2.5 km/h |
| when there is enough snow, flops onto its belly and toboggans | When enough snow covers the ice, they prefer to plonk onto their bellies and toboggan. |
| In the water it swims at 4 to 8 km/h | swimming speed 4 to 8 km/h |
| Some Adélies can dive to depths of up to 175 metres, though they usually feed in the top 70 metres | Some Adélie penguins are capable of diving to depths of up to 175 m but usually feed within the upper 70 m of the water column. |
| Parents feeding chicks swim 5 to 120 km offshore on trips lasting 5 to 72 hours | Breeding adults swim between 5 to 120 km offshore to catch food for their chicks. Feeding trips range from 5 to 72 hours in duration. |
| tracking shows these penguins can swim more than 1,200 km from their breeding site | Scientists are tracking their routes so they can find out exactly where the Adélies go on their long sea journeys. So far, scientists know that these penguins can swim more than 1,200 km away from their breeding site. |
| Leopard seals are their main predators | Their main predators are leopard seals |
| Adélies build their nests from pebbles on sloping ground, so meltwater runs away from the nest | In spring, Adélie penguins build nests out of the pebbles they find on dry land. They choose a sloping site so that, when the snow melts, water runs away from the nest. |
| A researcher who followed 450 nests in camera photos | From the photos, she recorded the breeding success of 450 Adelie penguin nests. |
| said stealing rocks from other penguins is "a major thing that they do." | Stealing rocks from other penguins, that's a major thing that they do. |
| The more rocks a nest held, the better the chance of one or more chicks surviving | The more rocks in the nest, the better the chance of one or more chicks surviving. |
| Antarctic coasts and offshore islands, nesting on bare, ice-free rock | Adélie penguins breed around the entire Antarctic coast and small islands in places where there is exposed rock. (note: stats.habitat; AAD's breeding transcript also gives 'ice-free land, snow-free land') |
| some can dive to depths of up to 175 meters | Some Adélie penguins are capable of diving to depths of up to 175 m but usually feed within the upper 70 m of the water column. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Adélies build their nests out of pebbles on sloping ground, so that meltwater runs away from the nest | In spring, Adélie penguins build nests out of the pebbles they find on dry land. They choose a sloping site so that, when the snow melts, water runs away from the nest. (note: faq 1) |
| the higher a nest sits off the ground, the more likely it is to stay clear of snow and moisture | So the higher the nest's off the ground, the more likely they are to be away from the snow cover and the moisture on the ground. (note: faq 1) |
| In a camera study of 450 nests | From the photos, she recorded the breeding success of 450 Adelie penguin nests. (note: faq 1) |
| the more rocks a nest held, the better the chance of one or more chicks surviving | The more rocks in the nest, the better the chance of one or more chicks surviving. (note: faq 1) |
| stealing rocks from other penguins is a major thing that they do | Stealing rocks from other penguins, that's a major thing that they do. (note: faq 1) |
| steals rocks from other penguins to build its nest | Stealing rocks from other penguins, that's a major thing that they do. |

## Pygoscelis adeliae (Adelie penguin). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pygoscelis_adeliae/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| can porpoise, shooting out to skim above the surface and grabbing a quick breath while it is out of the water | Adelie penguins can porpoise, or shoot out of the water to skim above the surface a few feet before splashing back down. While penguins are out of the water they quickly grab a breath of air. |
| fish and amphipods are part of the diet too | They also consume fish, such as lantern fish and other members of the family Myctophidae and Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Squid, other cephalopods, and amphipods are part of their normal diet as well. |
| Ashore, a penguin is safe from them, because leopard seals only come ashore to sleep or rest | Leopard seals are never an issue for penguins on shore, because leopard seals only come ashore to sleep or rest. |
| Antarctic krill, fish such as Antarctic silverfish, and amphipods | The primary food source for Adelie penguins is krill (Euphausia superba). They also consume fish, such as lantern fish and other members of the family Myctophidae and Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Squid, other cephalopods, and amphipods are part of their normal diet as well. (note: stats.diet) |
| porpoises out of the water to grab a breath | Adelie penguins can porpoise, or shoot out of the water to skim above the surface a few feet before splashing back down. While penguins are out of the water they quickly grab a breath of air. |

## Borowicz et al. (2018). Multi-modal survey of Adélie penguin mega-colonies reveals the Danger Islands as a seabird hotspot. Scientific Reports.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22313-w

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A drone and ground survey published in 2018 | a multi-modal survey consisting of direct ground counts and computer-automated counts of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery (note: UAV = drone; 2018 is the paper's publication year (the reference's year field); the fieldwork was in the 2015/16 season, so the text says 'published in') |
| counted 751,527 breeding pairs on the Danger Islands alone, more than the rest of the Antarctic Peninsula region combined, including what were then the third and fourth largest Adélie colonies in the world | the Danger Islands host 751,527 pairs of Adélie penguins, more than the rest of AP region combined, and include the third and fourth largest Adélie penguin colonies in the world. (note: rank scoped to the 2018 paper with 'what were then') |

## Fragão et al. (2021). Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Antarctica: Using penguins as biological samplers. Science of The Total Environment.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147698

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In droppings collected across the Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea | were selected to evaluate the occurrence of microplastics across the Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea. Scat samples (used as a proxy of ingestion), were collected from breeding colonies over seven seasons between 2006 and 2016. (note: scat = droppings) |
| Antarctic krill turned up in 85% of Adélie samples | Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), present in scat samples, contributed 85%, 66% and 54% of the diet in terms of frequency of occurrence to the diet of Adélie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins, respectively. (note: frequency of occurrence = share of samples it turned up in; 85% is the Adélie figure) |

## Emlen & Penney (1964). Distance navigation in the Adelie penguin. Ibis.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919x.1964.tb03724.x

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| steers across featureless ice by the sun | the birds possessed a navigation mechanism which used the sun as the primary orientation cue plus a biological clock to compensate for changing sun azimuth positions (note: tagline; the 1964 experiment is scoped in the body) |
| In a study published in 1964, male Adélies carried from coastal colonies to featureless ice plateaus inland | Male Adelie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae were transported from coastal rookeries in the Ross Sea area of Antarctica to three release points on featureless ice plateaux in the interior of the continent. (note: 1964 is the paper's publication year (the reference's year field)) |
| set off in straight lines when conditions were good | Birds released inland from a coastal rookery under favourable conditions consistently moved in straight courses N.N.E. toward the coast. |
| Birds from the same colony held the same heading wherever they were released | The mechanism effected a consistent escape direction for birds of a given population (source) regardless of the location of the release site. |
| even when it did not point home | took courses essentially parallel to this departure direction, i.e., northwest and northeast respectively on a meridian scale rather than true north or in the homeward direction |
| The researchers concluded that the penguins steer by the sun, using a biological clock to allow for its changing position | the birds possessed a navigation mechanism which used the sun as the primary orientation cue plus a biological clock to compensate for changing sun azimuth positions (note: "allow for" paraphrases "compensate for") |
| this could guide lost birds toward feeding areas off the coast | It is considered to have survival value in the present instance in steering lost penguins to the appropriate off‐coast feeding areas |
| Steers by the sun across featureless ice | the birds possessed a navigation mechanism which used the sun as the primary orientation cue plus a biological clock to compensate for changing sun azimuth positions (note: stats.superpower) |
| With the sun. | the birds possessed a navigation mechanism which used the sun as the primary orientation cue plus a biological clock to compensate for changing sun azimuth positions (note: faq 2) |
| In a study published in 1964, male Adélies carried from coastal colonies to featureless ice plateaus inland moved in straight lines | Male Adelie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae were transported from coastal rookeries in the Ross Sea area of Antarctica to three release points on featureless ice plateaux in the interior of the continent. ... Birds released inland from a coastal rookery under favourable conditions consistently moved in straight courses N.N.E. toward the coast. (note: faq 2; 1964 is the paper's publication year (the reference's year field)) |
| birds from the same colony held the same heading wherever they were released | The mechanism effected a consistent escape direction for birds of a given population (source) regardless of the location of the release site. (note: faq 2) |
| The researchers concluded that the birds use the sun as their main cue, with a biological clock to allow for the sun's changing position | the birds possessed a navigation mechanism which used the sun as the primary orientation cue plus a biological clock to compensate for changing sun azimuth positions (note: faq 2; "allow for" paraphrases "compensate for") |

## Chappell, Morgan & Bucher (1990). Weather, microclimate, and energy costs of thermoregulation for breeding Adélie Penguins. Oecologia.

https://biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Chappellpubs/PDFfiles/OECOLOGIAadelieweather.pdf

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| fasts for weeks on end | Adults arrive at colonies in October and fast for 3~4 weeks while establishing territories, courting, and making nests. (note: tagline; 3 to 4 weeks, stated in the body) |
| Adults arrive at their colonies in October and fast for 3 to 4 weeks while they claim territory, court and build nests | Adults arrive at colonies in October and fast for 3~4 weeks while establishing territories, courting, and making nests. |
| Once the eggs are laid, females feed at sea while males fast for another 10 to 16 days through the first incubation shift | Females feed at sea after laying their eggs (usually two), but males continue fasting for another 10-16 days during the first incubation shift. (note: "usually" qualifies the clutch size (two eggs), which the text does not state) |

## Descamps, Cristea & Aspnes (2026). An Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) 200 km from the sea. Polar Research.

https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v45.13912

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Sometimes things still go wrong, and a penguin may become disoriented | sometimes things can go wrong and penguins may occasionally become disoriented |
| On 5 January 2026, an Adélie was seen near Troll Research Station in Dronning Maud Land, 200 km from the nearest open sea and about 1,300 km from the closest breeding colony | On 5 January 2026 in the morning (08:00), an Adélie penguin was observed near Troll Research Station, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica (Fig. 1a). The nearest access to open sea was 200 km away (Fig. 1b), and the closest breeding colony—in Lützow-Holmbukta (Lützow-Holm Bay)—is about 1300 km away |
| It appeared to be in good condition | The bird appeared to be in good physical condition |
| stayed among the station buildings until 3 pm, then walked east and disappeared | It then walked towards the station and stayed there, among the buildings, until 15:00. It then walked eastwards and disappeared. (note: 15:00 = 3 pm) |
| The scientists who reported it know of only one comparable peer-reviewed record: Adélie tracks found 300 km from the coast in 1958 | To our knowledge, the only comparable peer-reviewed record of extreme inland movement of an Adélie penguin comes from Sladen & Ostenso (1960), who reported Adélie penguin tracks located 300 km from the coast in 1958 |

## Ainley et al. (2005). Leopard seal predation rates at penguin colonies of different size. Antarctic Science.

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102005002750

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| in a six-year study most of the seals' hunting took place near the beach | we investigated the predation rates on penguins by leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) over a period of six years ... The number of seals present varied directly with the amount of penguin traffic in the areas near the beach, where most predation takes place. |
| It appears to. | With respect to predation, it appears to be advantageous for Adélie penguins to nest in very small or very large colonies. (note: faq 3; answers the question with the paper's own hedge) |
| In a six-year study, leopard seals were present persistently only when more than about 250 penguins an hour passed through the area near the beach | we investigated the predation rates on penguins by leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) over a period of six years ... The number of seals present varied directly with the amount of penguin traffic in the areas near the beach, where most predation takes place. Seals were present persistently only when penguin traffic exceeded about 250 penguins per hour. (note: faq 3) |
| predation rates varied with that traffic in a curve that levelled off above about 1,200 penguins an hour | Predation rates also varied with penguin traffic in a curvilinear fashion, leveling off where traffic exceeded about 1200 penguins per hour. (note: faq 3; "above" paraphrases "exceeded") |
| At large colonies, so many penguins come and go that they swamp the seals' efforts, which reduces each bird's chance of being taken, and small colonies are of little interest to the seals | At large colonies, the number of penguins moving to and from the colony ‘swamp’ the seals' predatory efforts, thus reducing the chances that an individual penguin will be taken. Small colonies are of little interest to the seals. (note: faq 3; paraphrase of "the number of penguins moving to and from the colony swamp the seals' predatory efforts") |
| as far as predation goes, it appears to pay to nest in a very small or a very large colony | With respect to predation, it appears to be advantageous for Adélie penguins to nest in very small or very large colonies. (note: faq 3) |

## Pygoscelis adeliae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22697758A157660553.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2020-3.rlts.t22697758a157660553.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus, via GBIF's copy of the Red List) |