Fledglings

[Written by Elizabeth Leonardis for our old blog, So Civilized]

Me and my new friend

The Adelie penguin fledglings (penguin chicks ready to leave the nest) are starting to head down to the beach in anticipation of getting in the water and heading out to sea. The birders are going out everyother day to Humble Island to round up the fledglings on the beach to then measure and weigh them. They use volunteers from station to help round up the chicks and then to hold them while they do their measurements. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go out with them yesterday.

Jen measuring the bill of a penguin chick

Flipper measurements

Chick weights

Attempting to comfort my little friend

The penguin chicks usually don’t leave the nest until all their down is completely gone and they look like their parents (only smaller) with their black and white feathers. Therefore, the birders aim to weigh those that are almost completely down-less. The penguins look especially silly at this ackward stage when some of them only have a little tuft left on their head or a mowhawk down their back like this guy.

The ackward days of molting their down

Another chick going through his ackward stage (Avian Island)

In addition to the penguin chicks on Humble Island, there are about 30 Giant Petrel nests that the birders monitor on a regular basis. Giant Petrels are beautiful birds with a massive wing spand over 6 feet. Bill Fraser, one of the leading penguin researchers, has been coming down to Palmer for over 30 years studying all the local birds. He and his colleagues have personlly banded most of the Giant Petrels in the area and have maintained one of the longest time series for Southern Giant Petrels. Those I refer to as “the birders” are working in collaboration with Fraser as he has not been able to come down for the past few years. I’ve gone out once before with the birders to check nests and bands on the local Giant Petrels. They mark nests and also band any birds that are not already banded. In March, I’ll be able to accompany them in banding the Giant Petrel chicks. Yesterday was just weights and bil measurements of the chicks on Humble, which is also done everyother day this time of year.

Bill measurement of a Giant Petrel chick

Soft fluffy petrel chick and me very happy

Petrel chick on the nest with mom