Gentoo penguins in Antarctic at thomasdolanphotography.com. Average Weight: 5.5kg - 12lb. Average Height: 71cm - 28 inches. Breeding Season: December - March. Estimated world population: - 387,000 breeding pairs, status not clear, may be decreasing or possibly increasing in the south of the range, there can be quite large year-to-year fluctuations in the population size. Colonies tend to be much smaller than other similar penguins, the largest has around 6,000 breeding pairs. <br /> Feeding: Opportunistic, krill, fish, squid, other crustaceans as available, tend to prefer feeding inshore near to the breeding colony. Conservation status: Near threatened. Distribution: Circumpolar, the most northerly of the 4 Antarctic species. 80% are found in three locations, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The last 25 years have seen significant changes in population sizes in particular locations either growth or decline, overall the population is becoming somewhat more southerly. Predators: Leopard seals and killer whales- main predators of adult birds. Skuas - prey on eggs and chicks. (coolantarctica.com)
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