Fluff Alert! New Gentoo Penguin Chick Hatches at ABQ BioPark Zoo

The baby bird boom continues at ABQ BioPark Zoo with the addition of a newly-hatched gentoo penguin chick! 

“The chick is doing great, and we’re super excited,” said Karen Waterfall, ABQ BioPark curator of birds. “It needed some extra help hatching out of the egg, but was strong and alert when it got out. The parents are doing good, and we look forward to watching the chick grow and meet their milestones.” 

This is the second penguin chick to be hatched at Penguin Chill since its opening in 2019. In fact, this new hatchling shares the same parents, Digit and Killian, as the first gentoo chick to hatch here in 2022! 

The gender of the chick, hatched November 3, has yet to be determined as it is difficult to discern at this age. Waterfall said when the chick is around a few months old, a blood sample will be collected to know for sure. 

In the meantime, the chick, who has not yet been named, is spending most of its time in its nest being tended to by both parents. Baby penguins cannot regulate their own body temperature well, so Digit and Killian have been taking turns sitting over the chick to guard it and keep it warm, known as brooding.

“They're a really tight pair, and we knew they were going to be good parents,” said Waterfall. “Digit, the mom, is very good. She almost doesn't want dad to do any parental care, but we do see them switch. It’s pretty neat to see. We’ll watch one get out of the nest and the other one will come and scoot the chick underneath them.” 

The parent who is not brooding goes out to find food for both themselves and the chick. Penguin parents feed their chicks by regurgitating partially digested food into the mouths of their young. Knowing Digit and Killian are eating for two, their care team has been feeding them four times a day instead of the usual two to ensure there is plenty of food to go around. 

Currently, the chick is on the terrestrial portion of the Penguin Chill habitat, but it may be hard to spot as the parents are likely covering it. However, after about a month of being tended to in the nest, the chick will start wandering out on land.

“Once it reaches this stage, we'll move the family inside a behind-the-scenes space for a bit to continue to get the chick used to us and used to feeding from us,” said Waterfall. 

During this time, the chick will also be able to practice their swimming in a smaller pool before heading back out to the main penguin habitat once it's a few months old. By then, it will be fully fledged with waterproof feathers and look pretty similar to the other gentoo penguins, only smaller. Keep a look out for this new fuzzy face during your next visit!