Gentoo Penguin

Pygoscelis papua

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFishMarinePlatform nestHuge · 5.9 kg

What the Gentoo Penguin sounds like

Sonogram of the Gentoo Penguin: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by steve · Call · Neko Harbor, Antarctica · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Gentoo Penguin: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by steve · Begging call, call, song · Antarctica · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Gentoo Penguin: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by steve · Begging call, call, song · Antarctica · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The gentoo penguin is easily recognised by the broad, white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. It has pale whitish-pink, webbed feet and a relatively long tail – the most prominent tail of all penguin species. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. As the gentoo penguin waddles along on land, its tail sticks out behind, sweeping from side to side, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, which means "rump-tailed".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Gentoo Penguin

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 5 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Gentoo Penguin

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 4 countries with regular records, and 3 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in South Africa, United Kingdom, New Zealand.

About the Gentoo Penguin

The gentoo penguin is a penguin species in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin and the Chinstrap penguin. The earliest scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a type locality in the Falkland Islands. The species calls in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud, trumpeting call, emitted with the head thrown back.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Gentoo Penguin vs Yellow-eyed Penguin

Learn the Gentoo Penguin in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

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