Warming Antarctica Disrupts Penguin Breeding: More Starving Chicks and Fierce Competition for Food

Ten Years of Observing Gentoo, Ad?lie, and Chinstrap Penguins
Warning of Significant Threats to Diversity and Ecosystem Stability

A study has revealed that Antarctic penguins are advancing their breeding season at an unprecedented rate, a change attributed to ongoing warming in Antarctica.

On January 20, Yonhap News, citing the British daily The Guardian, reported concerns that this shift could lead to food shortages for certain species, posing a significant threat to the species diversity and ecological stability of Antarctic penguins.

Penguin. (This photo is not directly related to the article.) Pixabay Pixabay

This finding is based on observations by researchers from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, who installed 77 time-lapse cameras across Antarctica from 2012 to 2022 to monitor the breeding sites of gentoo, Ad?lie, and chinstrap penguins.

The research team recorded the "settlement timing" for the three penguin species, referring to the date when the penguins begin to continuously occupy their breeding sites for mating and egg-laying. According to the study, the start of the breeding season for all three species has advanced rapidly over the past decade. For gentoo penguins, the breeding date advanced by an average of 13 days over ten years, and by up to 24 days in some colonies. This represents the fastest change ever observed among birds, and is unprecedented even among all vertebrates.

The breeding periods of Ad?lie and chinstrap penguins have also advanced by about 10 days on average. Researchers identified the reduction in sea ice and rising temperatures as the main causes of this change. They analyzed that warming has led to earlier formation of hunting grounds and more suitable nesting environments.

Penguin. (This photo is not directly related to the article.) Pixabay Pixabay

At the same time, they warned that this could increase the risk of food shortages for penguins. Dr. Ignacio Juarez Martinez, who led the study, stated, "The change is happening so quickly that penguins may begin breeding before food sources are available." He pointed out that chick penguins may be unable to find food for several weeks after hatching, which could have fatal consequences.

The shift in breeding timing has also intensified competition among penguins. As the breeding seasons of the three species now overlap, conflicts over food and snow-free nesting sites have become more frequent. Dr. Martinez explained, "Gentoo penguins, which inhabit relatively mild environments and can eat both krill and fish, are expanding their range across Antarctica and increasing in number." In contrast, "Ad?lie and chinstrap penguins, which rely on krill, are experiencing population declines."

Meanwhile, last year, the global average temperature was recorded as the third highest ever observed. On January 14 (local time), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the global average temperature in 2025 had risen by 1.44 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels (1850-1900).