Penguin Migration: Key Points from BioExpedition

Reasons for Penguin Migration

Temperature Changes:
- As temperatures change, particularly with shorter days at the South Pole, food sources become scarce.
- Lack of algae and phytoplankton affects krill availability, a primary food source.
Habitat Conditions:
- Ice and snow cover make survival difficult except for some species like the Emperor Penguin.
- Penguins migrate to escape harsh winter conditions.
Reproduction Needs:
- Migration is essential for reaching nesting areas, especially for Emperor Penguins.
- Young penguins leave colonies and return for breeding seasons.

Species Variability:
- Most penguin species migrate, but not all do.
- Migration likelihood increases with distance from the equator.
Gentoo Penguins:
- Northern subspecies typically remain in the colony.
- Southern subspecies migrate northwards during winter.

Life-or-Death Event:
- Migration is crucial yet perilous, particularly for juveniles and older penguins.
- High mortality rate among young penguins during their first migration.
Navigation:
- Exact navigation methods are not well understood.
- Possible guidance by the sun or learned migration routes.
- Some penguins may get lost and become vagrants.

Travel Methods:
- Migration involves both land and sea travel.
- Emperor Penguins travel extensively on land.
Distance:
- Varies based on species and migration reason.
- Adélie Penguins in the Ross Sea: 13,000-17,600 km annually.
- Magellanic Penguins: up to 4,828 km.
Physical Adaptations:
- Heavier and healthier penguins have better survival chances.
- Emperor Penguins use legs and bellies for movement on ice.

Hoare, Ben. Animal Migration: Remarkable Journeys in the Wild. University of California Press, 2009.
Katz Cooper, Sharon. When Penguins Cross the Ice: The Emperor Penguin Migration. Capstone, 2015.
Mller-Schwarze, Dietland. The Behavior of Penguins: Adapted to Ice and Tropics. SUNY Press, 1984.
SeaWorld Animal Infobooks on Penguin Reproduction.

BioExpedition Publishing, 2017