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WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT GENTOO PENGUINS?

Gentoo penguins are the third largest penguin species alive. 

Adults weigh 11 to 17lb (five to eight kg) but how heavy they are depends on the phase in their annual cycle. 

Males tend to be larger than females but the difference can be difficult to see.

A bright red-orange bill and conspicuous white eye patches make both adult and juveniles easily distinguishable from other species of penguin.

Gentoo penguins are closely related to Chinstrap, Pygoscelis antarctica, and Adélie, Pygoscelis adeliae, penguins.

Gentoo penguins have a large geographical range as they breed on many sub-Antarctic islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula. 

The largest populations of gentoo penguins are found at the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

With a total breeding population of approximately 387 000 pairs, gentoo penguins are the least abundant of the penguins found on the sub-Antarctic islands. 

In their southern range, especially around the Antarctic Peninsula, gentoo populations may be increasing. 

However, they may be decreasing in the southern Indian Ocean. 

Overall, their global population is considered stable. 

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