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World's largest chinstrap penguin colony hit by alarming decline due to climate change
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Aerial surveys and research by the British Antarctic Survey reveal that the chinstrap penguin population on Zavodovski Island, formerly the world's largest penguin colony, has dropped by 63% between 2011 and 2025. Researchers attribute the decline to climate-driven ocean warming that has shifted the penguins' krill food supply southwards. In contrast, macaroni penguins on the same island have thrived due to a more varied and adaptable diet.
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- Chinstrap penguin nests on Zavodovski Island decreased by 63% between 2011 and 2025.
- The decline is linked to climate change, rising ocean temperatures, and the resulting southward shift of krill.
- Chinstrap penguins have a specialist diet and preference for cooler waters, making them vulnerable compared to adaptable species.
- Macaroni penguins nesting on the same island have increased in number due to a broader, more flexible diet in warmer waters.
- The world's largest penguin colony title has now shifted to Cape Adare in the Ross Sea.