Key points
- Summer is coming to an end in Antarctica and the penguin moulting season is underway.
- Chicks are replacing their down with waterproof feathers and preparing for independent life in the ocean.
- Adult penguins shed almost all their feathers at once and temporarily stop hunting.
- The moulting period lasts around three to four weeks.
A moulting period has begun in penguin colonies near the Ukrainian Antarctic station “Akademik Vernadsky”. According to the National Antarctic Scientific Centre, there is currently more penguin down and feathers around the station than snow.
As summer in Antarctica draws to a close, the snow cover has largely melted, while penguins are now going through their annual moulting process.
– National Antarctic Scientific Centre
During this time, chicks born this season are replacing their first fluffy down with waterproof feathers.
Once moulting is complete, the young penguins will be able to enter the ocean for the first time and feed independently. Until then, they continue to be fed by their parents returning from the sea with their catch.
Moulting also takes place among adult birds. Penguins shed almost all their feathers at once, which distinguishes them from most other seabirds.
During this period, they remain on land, as without a new layer of feathers they are unable to swim or retain heat in the cold water.
The full renewal of plumage lasts about three to four weeks. Throughout this time, the birds do not hunt and rely on previously accumulated fat reserves.
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