Do Penguins Mate For Life?

Penguins are a fascinating group of birds. Each of the 18 species of the Spheniscidae family is flightless and is more at home in water than on land. All but the Galapagos penguin are found south of the equator.

Most penguins breed in relatively remote areas, making it difficult to observe their breeding habits. So how do penguins find partners? Do they mate for life?

Each penguin species has a slightly different reproductive strategy, but all form partnerships that can last more than a year. In some cases, they can mate for life, but this is not always the case. In fact, mate loyalty can be as high as 89 percent in some species, while it’s as low as 15 percent in others.

However, all penguins are monogamous and exhibit biparental care, meaning that the mother and father jointly raise a chick or two.

Fidelity varies widely among penguin species – a pair of Magellanic penguins

The behavior of each penguin species has evolved over countless generations to maximize reproductive success. In many cases, nests bond pairs together because they can reunite at a fixed time and place each breeding season.

Penguins that share the same nest tend to show high levels of mate loyalty.

In this article, we describe the pairing and mating habits of penguins. Their behavior ranges from cute to downright disgusting.

Do any penguin species mate for life?

Penguins are relatively long-lived birds, and many species can live for more than 20 years. Adélie and royal penguins are usually not ready to breed until they are eight years old, while gentoo penguins reach sexual maturity in just two years. Their longevity makes lifelong learning difficult.

Many penguin species form consecutive partnerships of two years or more, but penguins are not very loyal companions.

Read on to learn about the fidelity of some well-known penguins.

Little Penguin

Little Penguin (Eucalyptus) is the smallest species in the world. These Australian seabirds display high levels of loyalty to their mates and nesting burrows. The pair usually reunite, although they may divorce, especially after an unsuccessful breeding season.

Little penguins often have high fidelity between breeding pairs

gentoo penguin

Breeding pairs of fast-swimming gentoo penguins vary widely in mate fidelity (Pygoscelis Papua). They will mate with the same partner between 0% and 89% of the time, although their loyalty to the nest is much higher. Male gentoo penguins reused the same nest 89% to 100% of the time.

Huge difference in Gentoo Penguin fidelity

Emperor penguins

emperor (groin worm) are the least loyal of the penguin species, but they have good reason. These giant seabirds breed during the harsh Antarctic winter, incubating their eggs on their feet rather than in their nests.

They breed in large groups on the inhospitable ice fields, making it difficult to find the same mate every year. Still, old flames do sometimes find each other, and the chance of their reunion is estimated at about 15 percent.

Fidelity of other famous species:

• king penguin (Patagonian fish): 29%
• Macaroni Penguin (golden retriever): 75%
• adelie penguin (Cercoides): 80%
• galapagos penguins (Long-tailed cockroach): 89%

Emperor penguins are the least loyal of the penguins

How do penguins attract mates?

Penguins use a variety of different displays to attract mates. These include their own physical qualities, their voices and the quality of their nesting sites.

Read on to learn more about penguin mate choice.

color

At first glance, most penguins appear to have no colors other than black and white. In fact, most species have some very bright colors around the head and beak, which is important for mate selection.

Male and female king penguins choose each other based on the amount of UV light their beaks reflect and the colored pinnae on their ears.

nest

Female penguins can judge the quality of potential mates based on their nest type, as a comfortable and sheltered nest offers a better chance of successfully raising chicks. Male penguins display near their nests to advertise themselves and their nests.

Male and female king penguins choose each other based on the amount of UV light reflected by their beaks and the colored pinnae on their ears

vocalize

Male penguins use song to attract potential mates. They make delightful presentations called ecstatic presentation calls. The sounds they make don’t sound like music to us, but other penguins seem to like them.

Penguins tend to spread their wings and point their beaks skyward when they call, but some birds also shake their heads from side to side or look down at their feet.

Male penguins also use these calls to deter other males, but once paired, male and female penguins may perform this display in sync. This courtship ritual strengthens their bond.

Penguins are known to have very keen ears. The researchers believe that female Adélie penguins can judge the fat content of male penguins by the quality of their voices. High body fat indicates his health, as these birds fast for up to three weeks while their eggs are brooding.

Courtship performance and behavior of a pair of emperor penguins

Courtship behavior and pair formation

Penguin courtship is not rushed, and in the case of breeding emperor penguins, this stage can last up to six weeks. Gentoo penguins court each other for about a month.

During this time, the two would show each other off, and would often visit the gemstone spot every night after returning from the day’s fishing trip.

All penguins nest in colonies, and finding mates in large and chaotic king penguin breeding colonies presents a unique challenge.

These colorful penguins move to the fringes of the colony as they look for mates. They show each other here, find a mate and move in together.

You might wonder how these birds find each other in crowds, especially without nests. King and emperor penguins recognize each other by sound. Everyone can use two branches of their syrinx – the avian version of the voice box to produce unique sounds.

A pair of Gentoo penguins in a courtship show

Do penguins propose with pebbles?

Male gentoo penguins have been known to collect a rock and drop it at the feet of a potential mate. If she’s impressed with this practical gift, the couple may move on to building a nest with pebbles and softer materials like moss and grass.

Male gentoo penguin offers pebbles to a partner

How many times do penguins mate a year?

Penguins breed once a year. They will mate after they reunite in their nests, although there is some evidence that they may even mate at sea.

In pairs, the male is usually the first to return to the nest during the breeding season. Female Chinstrap Penguins (Caucus antarctica), for example, returns after an average of five days.

Although monogamous, female penguins may have as many as three partners, and male penguins may also visit a second female. Some penguins have been known to mate with same-sex partners, and other penguins have even been seen attempting to mate with dead birds around their habitat.

Penguins aren’t always the loyal birds we think they are!

There’s Love in the Air – Breeding a Chinstrap Penguin Pair

What happens when a penguin mate dies?

Most penguins will pair with the same mate every year, especially if they successfully raised chicks the previous season. However, if their mate dies and fails to return to the nest, new solitary birds will seek out alternative mates.

Do penguins grieve the loss of a mate?

We’re not sure if penguins grieve the loss of a mate, or if they feel that way. However, these birds have well-developed brains, so science is likely to reveal more complex emotional responses.

In fact, emperor penguins have the largest brains of any bird in the world, weighing in at a (relatively) impressive 1.5 ounces (44 grams).

It’s unclear if the penguins are mourning the loss of their mate

Do penguins mate with their siblings?

Penguins are known to engage in many annoying behaviors, but they don’t usually mate with their siblings. This behavior is relatively rare in nature because it can have dire consequences for genetic diversity. However, within captivity, it is quite possible.

Do penguins stay together as a family?

Penguins nest in flocks, and some form nurseries where chicks gather for warmth and safety. Emperor penguins can only become independent at 13 months of age at best, which is a long time by bird standards. Such a long “family” period means the birds can only breed twice every three years.