I didn’t realize I would get to see penguins molting on my trip to the Falkland Islands in early January. I found the molting birds so endearing. The adult king penguins temporarily lose their sleek formality, while the babies who are about to set off are a hilarious mix of fur and feathers. The southern rockhoppers lose their great hairdos and look a little unlike themselves. Sadly, I did not see any molting gentoos.
Penguins annually go through what’s called a catastrophic molt, where they replace all their feathers at once instead of replacing them gradually. This process is unique to penguins. Throughout the year, feathers get worn down and it’s critical to a penguin’s health to get a new batch. Another fun fact: Penguins have the densest plumage of any bird.
During the molting process, the penguins are not waterproof, so they’re stuck on land. To prepare for the molt, they’ll gorge on fish before coming ashore. Since molting is an energy-intensive process, they’ll slim down for a couple of weeks until all their new feathers are in. Then, they return to sea.
Other posts about the Falkland Islands:
