Black Penguin
December 30, 2008
We have a few odd-colored birds among the 300,000 penguins at Cape Crozier. Two of them have names: the blondest one we call Blondie and the blackest one Blackie, or Black Penguin, to be politically correct (both have returned year after year to the same nests), but a few other oddballs are scattered around. So far, we’ve seen two all-black penguins, several light blond-colored ones, a nearly all-white bird David found yesterday (dubbed the “Ghost Penguin” or maybe “Platinum”), and a full albino chick. None of the other penguins seem to notice the weird colors, though; most of the abnormally-plumaged individuals have successful nests.
I stopped to take a couple photos of one of the all-black penguins today. It was busy flirting with a slick-looking chick (er, adult female) and didn’t seem to notice me at all.
Black Penguin
Black Penguin On Its Nest
14 Responses to 'Black Penguin'
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Black Penguin: Hey Baby!
Female Penguin: Hey there short DARK and Handsome!
Derek J
31 Dec 08 at 7:00 am
I’m supposed to be entering graduate application data into my database, but I stumble upon’ed your blog and I got lost. My dad and I have always shared a love of penguins, every zoo, every aquarium, any movie or tv show about penguins was visited or watched as I grew up.
Thank you so much for posting your adventures. Maybe someday I can convince someone to send me to Antartica so I can view these beloved animals. (My cockatiel, Charlie, however is not so impressed with your blog. He’s all, “What? Penguins! They can’t even talk!”)
Wendi
31 Dec 08 at 2:33 pm
He’s a cutie. Glad life goes on w/o discrimination.
vickie
31 Dec 08 at 3:11 pm
Feliz Año Nuevo to Kirsten and Michelle from Isla Año Nuevo and Corvallis. The baby seals are doing just fine, and the fence is down. You guys are having too much fun.
Lon
Lon Otterby
1 Jan 09 at 7:23 am
Wow Great and rare picture. Thanks for sharing.
Free Flowers and Plants
2 Jan 09 at 9:44 pm
I had no idea they came in different colors!! No reason why there can’t be variations of penguins when there are variations of people and other birds, of course.
Great pictures and I’ll gladly follow this progress.
Sally
3 Jan 09 at 12:17 pm
penguin says, “HURR I’M A DURR”
anon
3 Jan 09 at 7:34 pm
He’s too cute! What an adorable little guy.
Bronson
8 Jan 09 at 6:44 am
Isn’t nature amazing. They’re wonderful little creatures. I saw a documentary on the penguins a couple of years ago and it was absolutely one of the most fasinating and educational programs I have seen. Those little penguins are real survivors and their loyalty and devotion is something I will always remember. They made me laugh and cry but mostly just in”awe” of them. I love them and I love life!
Thanks for all the wonderful work you do in bringing nature into our homes.
Peace,
Robyn
Robyn
8 Jan 09 at 4:05 pm
these penguin are looks fare and nice. these are rare we need to save them
Nepal tour
2 Mar 10 at 11:21 pm
maynee ii thiink that penguiin is so cut && ii want to see one befor ii diee,,,(:
neaviil
6 Mar 10 at 6:16 am
[...] read that the black penguin was a one in a zillion color morph but they seemed to ignore a smaller black Adelie penguin that Noah Stryker took and posted in his blog in [...]
Black Penguins, White Puffin & Hybrids « Birdchick
17 Mar 10 at 4:05 am
that is so cool that they found a black penguin i did not now that they existed!!!
brenna
22 Mar 10 at 12:50 pm
very interesting.
Not to be the one shouting racism but it’s funny how your complex shows itself when you name a blonde penguin Blondie, a black one Blackie, but then a white one is named “Platinum.” WTF. No one sees a problem with this or is it so inherent and masked? And you probably didn’t even recognize or mean it, per se.
Happy the penguins are colorblind and immune our societal history.
Hallie
19 Apr 10 at 6:52 am