# Adélie Penguin (*Pygoscelis adeliae*)

The Adélie penguin (*Pygoscelis adeliae*) is a bird of the penguin family, Spheniscidae, in the order Sphenisciformes.

> The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a medium-sized penguin of Antarctica, with a black head, white belly and a white ring around each eye. It breeds on ice-free rocky coasts and islands all around the continent, building nests of stones, and spends winter at the edge of the pack ice. Wild birds have lived up to 16 years. With about 10 million mature birds and an increasing trend, it is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Coasts and islands all around Antarctica; winters at the edge of the pack ice.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/adelie-penguin/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Sphenisciformes
- **Family:** Spheniscidae
- **Genus:** Pygoscelis

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Pygoscelis adeliae |
| Diet | Mainly Antarctic krill; also fish and squid |
| Habitat | Antarctic coasts, islands and pack ice |
| Height | About 60 cm |
| Weight | Average about 4.8 kg |
| Lifespan | Known to live up to 16 years in the wild |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020) |

## Identification

Adélies are the classic 'tuxedo' penguin: black back, head and throat, white belly, and a bright white ring around each eye. Feathers cover much of the short bill, which is black with an orange base. The feet are pale pink with black soles.

## Stone nests

In spring the birds walk across the sea ice to colonies on ice-free rocky ground, where they build nests of small stones that keep eggs above meltwater. Stones are scarce, and stealing them from neighbours is common. Most pairs lay two eggs.

## Named after Adèle

French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville named the penguin, and the coast of Antarctica where he found it in 1840, after his wife, Adèle.

## Status

BirdLife International lists the Adélie penguin as Least Concern (2020), estimating about 10 million mature birds and an increasing trend overall. Colonies on the warming Antarctic Peninsula have shrunk as sea ice has declined, while others in East Antarctica and the Ross Sea have grown.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where do Adélie penguins live?

All around the coast of Antarctica and nearby islands. In winter they move north to the edge of the pack ice.

### How long do Adélie penguins live?

Wild Adélies have been recorded living up to 16 years.

### How do you pronounce Adélie?

Usually a-DAY-lee, after Adèle, the wife of the French explorer who named it.

### Are Adélie penguins endangered?

No. They are listed as Least Concern with an increasing population, although colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula have declined.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Adelie Penguin Pygoscelis adeliae. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/adelie-penguin-pygoscelis-adeliae)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Pygoscelis adeliae. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pygoscelis_adeliae/)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Adélie Penguin

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/adelie-penguin/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.