Sheathbills intercept chinstrap regurgitation as penguin parents feed their offspring.Īntarctic skuas (Catharacta antarctica), sheathbills (Chionis alba), and giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) prey on penguin eggs and chicks.One bird distracts the penguin on the nest, and the other swoops in to steal the egg or chick. Skuas may work in pairs to obtain their prey. These predators may prey on chicks that have strayed from the protection of the crèche or are sickly and too weak to defend themselves. This leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is one of the primary predators of penguins but poses more of a threat in the water than on land.Īntarctic and subantarctic eggs and chicks are susceptible to predatory birds such as antarctic skuas, sheathbills, and giant petrels.

On land, foxes, snakes, and introduced predators such as feral dogs, cats, and stoats (members of the weasel family) prey on eggs and chicks of some penguin species, including the yellow-eyed and Galápagos penguins. When in the water, penguins may be eaten by leopard seals, fur seals, sea lions, sharks, or killer whales.

When mortality affects one chick in species producing two offspring of moderate size differences, it is usually the smaller chick that does not survive.

Emperor chicks may experience a 90% mortality within the first year of life.

Winter starvation may claim the lives of 50% of king penguin chicks.

Some individuals live considerably longer. The average life expectancy of penguins is probably 15 to 20 years.

Prey treasure hunt note updating