Penguins Are More Fascinating Than You Think: Here’s Why
While penguins cannot fly, they are probably one of the most favourite birds of many people. They are not just cute animals, but fascinating creatures that behave much more like humans than we think. They mate, perform ‘wedding rituals’, and live far beyond the icy peaks of cold islands – some as close to our home as in Australia.
If you haven’t yet seen these fascinating creatures, St Kilda Penguins Colony would be delighted to host you. And if you still need convincing, we are hoping to persuade you with this article.
Penguins Don’t Live Just in Cold Places
Contrary to what some people think, penguins are not only native to cold places covered with ice and snow. Galapagos Islands are home to Galapagos penguins, the only penguins native to the area north of the equator—right off the coast of South America.
Penguins also inhabit coastal South Africa and the Falkland Islands. We have penguins in Australia and New Zealand as well. Both countries mostly have Little Blue penguins, with New Zealand also being home to Yellow-eyed penguins and Fiordland penguins.
Little blue penguins are, in fact, the smallest penguins out there – about 33 cm tall. They are mostly nocturnal, meaning that they operate at night. They are protected in many areas, including Tasmania and Philip Island. Philip Island often hosts so-called penguin parades, where tourists can see crowds of Little blue penguins.
Yellow-eyed penguins are mostly found in New Zealand, being called ‘yellow-eyed’ for their distinct pale-yellow eyes and yellow headband. These penguins are considered endangered, and the New Zealand authorities take measures to protect the small population of yellow-eyed penguins. You can mostly find them on the South Island.
There are plenty of places in Australia where you can visit penguins or even penguin colonies. For those of you close to Melbourne, St Kilda Little Penguin Colony would probably be the closest. But you can see penguins in other parts of Australia too, for instance in Brisbane. This could be a great activity if you still debating on what to do alone in Brisbane. Penguin lovers will enjoy visiting Sea World or Sea Life Mooloolaba, however, SeaWorld would perhaps be a closer option, as it is just under one hour’s drive from central Brisbane.
Penguins Form Relationships
Unlike many other animals, penguins are monogamous, meaning that once they choose a partner, they stay with the chosen one for their entire life. The process of choosing a mate is fascinating – penguins are known for their almost marriage-like rituals, and each species of penguin has their own unique ceremonies.
Similarly to how humans have different ‘love languages’, different penguins express their affection in distinct ways. Emperor penguins, one of the larger ones, make trumpeting sounds and bow to a potential female mate. That’s how they also establish their territory. Adelie and Gentoo penguins, by contrast, express affection through gifts – male penguins give females pebbles, which the females later use to build nests for their future offspring.
Penguins also show care for each other, albeit differently from how humans do – they engage in mutual preening, meaning that they groom each other’s feathers to remove any dirt. Other penguins, like King Penguins, dance as a signal of being ready to mate.
Penguins that meet their significant other than work to build a nest together. This nest, made of pebbles, moss, and feathers, is the basis for a successful mating season. And, once a nest has been made, penguins stay together – even if they have to spend months apart, they eventually recognize each other and return to the same grounds.
Penguins Can Be Homosexual
Interestingly, penguins are one of the animals in which homosexual behavior is observed, and gay penguins frequently make it to news headlines. The courtship rituals and mating of gay penguins are very similar to those of heterosexual couples, and they have been observed in various zoos around the world. Homosexual couples are even capable of raising offspring together. Zoos often provide such couples with abandoned eggs, and penguins take care of the eggs by making nests similarly to how heterosexual couples do.
Homosexual behaviour in penguins is observed not only in captivity but in the wilderness as well – it has been documented by several researchers. Yet, the most famous homosexual couple is from a zoo. Roy and Silo, a couple of male penguins from Central Park Zoo, have successfully raised a baby penguin Tango. This later inspired a book called And Tango Makes Three.
As you can see, penguins in many ways are intelligent mammals who engage in elaborate rituals to show affection, and often this affection is not necessarily heterosexual. These animals are perhaps one of the best illustrations of how beautiful, complex, and interesting nature can be – and how limited our understanding of the world around us is. And as you are trying to uncover nature’s secrets, perhaps visiting penguins in real life is a good first step!