The March of the Penguins might portray penguin relationships like a human love story,
but you’ll be surprised when we uncover the true habits of these flightless sea birds.
Hi, I’m Nate from polarguidebook.com, and in this video we’ll look at whether penguins are
monogamous, whether they fall in love, and if they cheat on their partners. Let’s get started.
Penguins are monogamous which means they will have only one partner per breeding season.
Both the male and female will play a role in raising their offspring.
However, penguins do not always mate for life. There is no guarantee that they will pair up
with the same mate again in the next breeding season.
When a penguin pairs with a new mate even though their existing mate is still alive,
it is called a penguin divorce. The divorce rate also varies among
different species of penguin and even among different colonies of the same species.
Emperor Penguins have an unusually high divorce rate at 85%, closely followed by King Penguins.
This is because they often arrive at the breeding ground at
different times so will choose a new mate.
Among some species, such as Fiordland Penguins, the female may react adversely
if they return to find their previous mate as divorced them and found a new partner.
There can be fierce fighting which results in the new partner being expelled away.
So, Do Penguins Fall in Love? Well, kind of.
If we define love as a feeling of affection, it’s certainly possible that penguins fall
in love. Although it’s unlikely that they experience romantic love like humans do.
Penguins can recognize their mate, and often do stay with
the same partner across breeding seasons. However, the main aim of a penguin relationship
is to reproduce and raise offspring. So they will usually look for a new mate
if their old mate is not present or if breeding was unsuccessful.
When flirting with a potential mate, the males will perform a courtship display.
This involves a pattern of dipping their head low then stretching it high,
with their flippers spread out and accompanied with braying or squawking.
The courtship display is also a warning to other males to stay away from their nest area.
When penguins have found a suitable mate, both males and females perform a mutual
ecstatic display, with coordinated movements such as bowing and calling to one another.
This helps the pair bond and learn each other’s call so that they can be found later.
When they have found a partner, they show affection for one another by rubbing their
beaks or bodies together. This also generates much-needed body heat.
Some penguins give pebbles to their partner as an acknowledgment of their relationship.
The pebble will be used along with other rocks,
vegetation, and feathers to build a nest for their new family.
It sounds like penguin couples make a great team, right?
Well you might be surprised to find out that they aren’t always loyal to their partners.
Some species, such as the Humboldt and Little Penguin, engage in extrapair copulation. This
is the scientific way of saying they cheat on their breeding partner.
In a study of Humboldt Penguins in Peru, researchers found that around 20%
of males and 30% of females cheated. Although none of these resulted in additional offspring.
Little Penguins, endemic to Australia and New Zealand, may have up to four partners in one day.
In a third of cases, the identity of the real father of the offspring may be questionable.
Have you ever wondered why penguins are black and white?
or why they huddle together in colonies of 5,000 or more? Check this next video for 12
interesting facts about penguins that are sure to break the ice. Thanks for watching.