Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus)

     Chinstrap penguins have a line across their head, starting for their ears going to their chin, giving them their name and making them easy to identify. They are between 28 to 30 inches high and can weigh between 6.5 to 10 pounds. Can you believe that they can swim as fast of 20 miles per hour? Chinstrap penguins have dense feathers which are used for insulation and it is water proof. They have red eyes and a black beak.

    The Chinstraps inhabit large colonies around Antarctica but they are found on the South Sandwich Islands. The inhabitant of one of the colony is estimated to be 10 million penguins. During the winter season, they pack their bags leaving their colonies to move north.

   Chinstrap penguins eat krill and small shoaling fish. They dive looking for prey close to their colonies near the shore; each dive is about 1 minute going 200 feet deep.