Gentoo Penguins: I Love You. I Rock You

The 'love birds' - that is what Oceana calls Gentoo penguins. "Charismatic waddlers" - that is what National Geographic calls them. Yes - gentoo penguins are the most romantic of all birds. They also waddle rather delightfully. They have a long tail that sticks out of their back and as they walk, sweeps the ground. When gentoo penguins waddle up from the ocean to the rocky area where they live and breed, they create a 'Gentoo Penguin Highway'.

But back to the romance. During their courtship, male penguins will search for and bring the smoothest pebble it can find for its lady bird. The smoothest pebble he can get his orangish red beak on to show his love. To declare his honorable intentions. To make a grand gesture. To win her ladyship over. To show her she is special to him.

Why is that smooth rock special?

Because she uses the smooth rocks to build her nest.

Given that the female gentoo is going to sit on her nest to hatch eggs for at least a month, I understand why she is particular that the rocks be smooth. So, if the female gentoo likes the look of the male gentoo and more importantly, the smooth feel of the rock, she will pick it up in her beak and place it in her nest.

That's THE sign to the male who is courting her that he is good for her.

If the male gentoo cannot find a smooth enough rock and another gentoo is making moves on the lady gentoo he likes, it is likely the gentoo will 'steal' a pebble from his competitor. It is for this reason that the smooth stones once procured are carefully (and jealously) guarded because they can be the cause of ferocious fights.

And you thought romance only happened in the human world?

The more romantic these gentoo penguins are, the more the chances of a "pebble" war or a "pebble" pandemonium, not surprisingly.

Like they say - all's fair in love and war. Even for gentoo penguins.

Once the gentoo penguins mate, they stay together for life. In fact and this is really surprising - male gentoo penguins caught trying to breed outside the original pair is rejected forcefully by the members of the colony. Monogamy, that is, sticking with one partner year after year, is not only a valued gentoo trait but also highly encouraged by the entire colony.

Who knew?

So, want to show love for someone today? Give them a smooth, pretty rock and say -

I rock you.