Adélie penguin, Graham Passage, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

© Nick Garbutt/Minden Picture

Info. Adélie penguin

This cheerful bird is an Adélie penguin, a common sight this time of year in parts of Antarctica. Breeding season for these penguins begins by October, when they gather in colonies of thousands, coupling off and building nests made of stones.

When it comes to parenting, Adélie couples are true partners. The female lays two eggs, and then the parents each take turns incubating them in 12-day periods until the chicks hatch after about a month. The chicks remain in the nest for around 22 days, while both parents again take turns, this time by feeding and guarding them. Once March arrives, the parents return to sea, bringing their young along with them. They'll spend the winter searching for food among the icebergs.