QUESTION:
How can you tell how old the penguins are?

        This question is from Drew S. in Mrs. Garvin's Science Class
        Mauldin Elementary, Mauldin, SC


ANSWER from Donna Patterson, Resercher, Dr. Fraser's Team
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Fri, 21 Mar 1997 15:17:29 -0500

Hello Drew,

Sometimes it's very difficult to tell how old a penguin is.   We can 
tell with most species if the penguin is an adult or a juvenile by 
looking at the plumage, especially around the face.  Juvenile gentoos, 
for example,  have a bill that is not as bright orange as an adult 
and less of a white patch above the eyes.     Adult emperor penguins 
have brigher and more defined orange patches than the juveniles.  
Adelie penguins are easier to distinguish;  the juveniles have a 
white throat where the adults have black ones.    As adults, most 
species of penguins look very similar and a specific age cannot be 
determined.    Many penguins will wait 3-5 years before breeding, so 
you can figure that the nesting birds are at least that old.   We use 
flipper bands to keep track of a small sample of Adelie penguins that 
were banded as chicks every season.  These are the only birds that we 
will know a specific age for throughout their adult life.  

Donna Patterson