Penguin Watch Talk

Adults or chicks?

  • Gellies by Gellies

    Would you classify these as adults or chicks?
    They still look fluffy, but not real chicks anymore more teens

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Hello @Gellies 😃

    The group here are just enjoying the first few days of hatching their eggs. So you're seeing adults here. Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) 4 gives lots of helpful information : https://talk.penguinwatch.org/#/boards/BPZ0000007/discussions/DPZ0000adb

    This is the Falkland Islands so the chicks hatch out quite early (beginning of December) given the warmer weather.

    Here's a bit of that picture with some useful things to look at:

    1, 2, and 3, are very tiny chicks perhaps only a few days old. Nothing to see but fluffy posteriors as they keep their heads warm under mum or dad's tummy. That warming is made easier by the parent standing with a forward-leaning posture called 'guard position'. Watch out for that position and always check if you see a chick (or even an egg) below it.

    I also ringed some classic adult features, the head flash, the black of the wing being continuous with the black of its back feathers (chicks have a white bar at the shoulder), and the black feathers coming down from the chin to the top of the chest (that area is white on chicks).

    If you do find it difficult to say if it's an adult or chick, always mark it as an adult (see FAQ4 again).

    I hope that this helps you and that you enjoy marking the penguins 😄

    Posted