Adult Antarctic skua (Catharacta spp) steals a penguin egg from its parent, Aitcho Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

An adult brown skua (Stercorarius spp), with a stolen gentoo penguin egg at Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions

An adult brown skua (Stercorarius spp), in flight with a stolen penguin egg at Barrientos Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions

An adult brown skua (Stercorarius spp), with a stolen penguin egg at Barrientos Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions

An adult brown skua (Stercorarius spp) stealing a penguin egg at Brown Bluff, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Cape gull (Larus vetula) with African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) egg, Boulders Beach, Simons Town, South Africa, Africa

Adult king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) amongst chicks at breeding colony at Gold Harbour, South Georgia Island, Polar Regions

Adult chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica), breeding colony at Half Moon Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) adult and chick at breeding and nesting colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) at breeding and nesting colony at Salisbury Plain in the Bay of Isles, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Adult brown skuas, working together to steal a penguin egg near the Antarctic peninsula in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Adult rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) at breeding and molting colony on New Island, Falkland Islands

Adult rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) at breeding and molting colony on New Island, Falkland Islands

Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) at a breeding and molting site in Estancia San Lorenzo, Argentina

Adult rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) at nesting site on New Island, Falkland Islands, U.K. Overseas Protectorate, South America

Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), parent on a chick and egg at Brown Bluff, Antarctic Sound, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), on eggs at Port Lockroy, Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) hatched egg at Petermann Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Adult king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) in the act of feeding chick on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) breeding and nesting colony at Salisbury Plain in the Bay of Isles, South Georgia, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) breeding and molting at Half Moon Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) adult with chicks on Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) adult and chick at breeding and nesting colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) breeding and nesting colony on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

Adult rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) at breeding and molting colony on New Island, Falkland Islands

Adult Antarctic skua (Stercorarius antarcticus), eating a gentoo penguin egg at Port Lockroy, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) with minutes-old newly hatched chick at Gold Harbor on South Georgia

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) feeding minutes-old newly hatched chick at Gold Harbor on South Georgia

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua papua) sitting on egg, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, South America

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) with minutes-old newly hatched chick at Gold Harbor on South Georgia

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus), on eggs at Coronation Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Adult kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) with stolen Adelie penguin egg in its bill at Brown Bluff, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) with chick and egg, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) with chick and egg, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Gentoo penguin (pygoscelis papua) new island, falkland islands, with two eggs.

Adult Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) inspecting a non-viable egg at Devil Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Adelie penguins are truly an ice dependant penguin species.

An adult Leucistic Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) nesting and incubating two eggs at Gabriel Gonzales Videla Research Station, Antarctica

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) chick head detail at colony on Useful Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. There are an estimated 2 million breeding pairs of chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic peninsula region alone, perhaps as many as 7.5 million breeding pairs in all of Antarctica. Their name derives from the narrow black band under their heads which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets, making them one of the most easily identified types of penguin. Other names for them are "Ringed Penguins", "Bearded Penguins", and "Stonecracker Penguins" due to their harsh call. They grow to 68 cm (27 in). The average adult weight of a Chinstrap Penguin is 4.5 kg (10 lbs). Weight can range from 3 to 6 kg (6.6-13.2 lbs), with males being slightly larger and weight varying based on where the penguin is in the breeding cycle. Their diet consists of krill, shrimp, and fish. On land they build circular nests from stones, and lay two eggs, which are incubated by both the male and the female for shifts of five to ten days. They can also breed on icebergs, though they prefer non-icy conditions. The chicks hatch after about 35 days, and have fluffy gray backs and white fronts. The chicks stay in the nest for 20?30 days before they go to join a creche. At around 50?60 days old, they moult, gaining their adult plumage and go to sea. The Chinstrap Penguin was first described by German naturalist Forster in 1781. Its specific epithet was often seen as antarctica, however a 2002 review determined the genus Pygoscelis was masculine, and hence the correct binomial name is Pygoscelis antarcticus.

An adult Brown Skua (Catharacta antarctica) with a stolen penguin egg on South Georgia Island in the Southern Ocean

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at a breeding and molting site in Estancia San Lorenzo on Peninsula Valdez, Patagonia, Argentina, South Atlantic

Gentoo penguin adult (Pygoscelis papua) on hatching egg in Antarctica

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) nesting near whalebone, Aitcho Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean.

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) colony on the Antarctic Peninsula

An adult Leucistic Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) nesting and incubating two eggs at Gabriel Gonzales Videla Research Station, Antarctica

An adult Leucistic Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) nesting and incubating two eggs at Gabriel Gonzales Videla Research Station, Antarctica

Adult Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) laying on an egg on breeding colony on Petermann Island, Antarctica

Adult Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) sitting on nest with one hatched chicken and one still being in egg. Cuverville Island, Antarctica

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) eggs being washed away after unprecedented rainfall, Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean.

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) chick hatching from egg, Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean.

Adult Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis Adeliae) incubating its eggs. Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) nesting an egg on Petermann Island, Antarctica

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) parent balancing egg on feet to keep it off the cold beach on South Georgia Island, southern Atlantic Ocean.

Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colony - some still lying on their eggs, others already have their chicks. Neko Harbour, Antarctica

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) eggshell at a breeding colony on Bailey Head on Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Adult Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) sitting on nest with two eggs. Cuverville Island, Antarctica

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) on two eggs at breeding colony on Barrentos ISland in the Aitcho Island Group, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) on egg at breeding colony on Petermann Island, Antarctica

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), eggs being washed away after unprecedented rainfall, Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean.

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) on two eggs at breeding colony on Barrentos ISland in the Aitcho Island Group, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Adult Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) sitting on an egg on breeding colony on Petermann Island, Antarctica

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) nesting on egg on Barrentos Island in the Aitchi Island Group, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Gentoo Penguin at Nest with Eggs

King Penguin with egg, Aptenodytes patagonicus, St Andrews Bay, South Georgia, Antarctica

Egg being incubated by adult while balancing on feet. King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. South America, Falkland Islands, January

Egg being incubated by adult while balancing on feet. King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. South America, Falkland Islands, January

Parent on nest with egg. Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) on the Falkland Islands. South America, January

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) brooding eggs, Saunders island, Falkland