Last year we symbolically adopted a female Magellanic penguin who lives in Cabo Virgenes, (on the border of Argentina and Chile). Magellanic penguins are small, very social, charismatic, and adorable… We fittingly named her, Spiffy!
Around this time last year she hatched 2 baby chicks. We were able to watch her raise them, migrate north with her, and then grow up and “move away” to another colony. This year she has had another 2 chicks! It’s rare that penguins are able to successfully hatch both of their chicks in a season, in fact only about 75% of penguin eggs hatch. In normal climate conditions penguins would create burrows in the ground, that would help protect them and their family from predators. Unfortunately, the ground in Cabo Virgenes is extremely dry so it’s almost impossible to create a deep enough burrow without it collapsing.
Luckily, Spiffy and her partner know how to improvise. They gather around bushes and create a nest for protection. They also surround the nest with sticks and debris, as you can see in the photo below!
After the chicks hatch, they live solely in the nest their parents built for about 5-6 weeks while they eat, stay warm, and grow. They are fed small fish and other sea creatures from Spiffy and her partner daily. They then soon learn how to communicate with their parents and each other. After 6 weeks they will start to roam outside the nest and explore other areas and penguins in the colony. Penguins are very social creatures, so it’s important for the chicks to become acclimated with others in the colony.
Stay tuned for another penguin update, when the chicks start exploring outside the nest and try swimming!
We love sharing these penguins updates! Here's $20 on us on your first full wash or detail.
Posted in Lifestyle
