The
chinstrap penguin (
Pygoscelis antarcticus) is a species of penguin that inhabits land masses in the Southern Pacific and Antarctic Oceans. The bird's black back and white underparts provide
camouflage in the form of
countershading when viewed from above or below, helping it to avoid detection by its predators, which include the
leopard seal, the
southern giant petrel, the
brown skua and the
south polar skua. The chinstrap penguin grows to a length of 68–76 cm (27–30 in) and a weight of 3.2–5.3 kg (7.1–11.7 lb), with the weight varying with the time of year. Males are greater in weight and height than females.
This picture shows a chinstrap penguin photographed on Deception Island, in the Antarctic archipelago of the South Shetland Islands.Photograph credit: Andrew Shiva