This holiday season there will be new exciting additions in the Penguin Encounter at SeaWorld San Antonio. Penguin breeding season began in September and is now in full swing. I was curious myself to see how the penguins were doing so I took a visit to the Penguin Encounter and spoke with Linda Weisenmiller, an aviculturist who specializes in birds. We bundled up and went into the habitat where I was able to ask her all about the expected penguin chicks.
A pair of Rockhopper penguins pick their spot in the rookery. They will return to this nest site every year to breed. What kind of penguins breed at the park?
All the cold weather penguins at the park breed, including the King, Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Rockhopper penguins. In the wild, penguins gather small rocks to make a nest, called rookeries, to protect their eggs. When breeding season began, the Penguin Encounter team hauled away snow and provided rocks for the penguins to make their nest. We brought in five tons of rocks for the penguins to comfortably nest.
How do the penguins pick their nest site and mate?
Penguins typically return to the same nest site and mate with the same partner each year. For the most part they are monogamous partners. King penguins are the only exception, they have been known to nest on different sites and choose different mates each year.
This expecting mother will see her baby chick by early next year.What is the incubation period like here in at the habitat?
The incubation period for the chicks depends on the species of penguin, the larger the penguin the longer the incubation. For example, the Gentoo penguins take on average 36 days to hatch, while the King penguins can take up to 55 days. The penguins lay two eggs each year, except the King penguin, who only lay one. Both the mother and father take responsibility during incubation, sharing the duty.
When can we expect the penguin chicks to hatch?
The first chicks are expected to hatch in December and they will continue to hatch into the new year. This is a very exciting time for the habitat, each breeding season is different and we learn something new each year.
I had a great time at the Penguin Encounter with Linda. Do you have more questions you're curious about? If you want to learn more about the penguins and their baby chicks, be sure to sign up for a Penguin Up-Close Tour at the park and get a behind-the-scenes look at these amazing animals, or head to the Penguin Encounter during an animal talk, which are noted on the daily schedule on the back of the park map, to find out more.
