Two Chicks in Burrow at Penguin Reserve on Magdalena Island, Chile - Encircle Photos

Two Chicks in Burrow at Penguin Reserve on Magdalena Island, Chile

Penguins are small balls of sparse gray down when they hatch. They remain in the burrow or nest while guarded and warmed by a parent. As they become older, the chicks develop a thicker plumage. Then, similar to these infants, they begin to shed their mesoptile stage before they are ready to swim. A pair of Magellanic penguins typically brood two chicks per season. On average, 1.0 to 1.6 survives until adulthood. This seems low but is significantly higher than the .5 chick survival rate in the Falkland Islands.

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