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We Heart Penguins

Mind the eggs

Making a den
in a nesting colony.

Raising chicks takes teamwork in a penguin family, both mom and dad have primary roles. Magellanic penguins breed in large nesting colonies, with each pair living in a burrow. In our colony, each parent pair has a den.

Egg-cellent egg-sittting
Mom & Dad take turns.

When eggs are laid, both parents take turns sitting on the eggs in 2-week shifts. After chicks hatch, parents take turns feeding fish to their little ones.

Penguin Chick Parenting

Fun Facts about penguins.

  • Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium welcomed a chick named Rio in May 2021!
  • Although he’s grown his first coat of waterproof feathers, Rio does not have his full tuxedo coloring yet.
  • Keep an eye out for the penguin that looks a bit more grey in color than the others!

Watch our penguin chicks from 2020 learn to swim in the video.