At Shedd Aquarium, annual nesting season is in full swing, which means the penguin colony is busy gathering materials, building nests and pairing up with mates. Guests who visit Shedd in the next few weeks may get a unique glimpse at the natural life cycle of a penguin as the birds create their nests and may display courtship behaviors. For instance, guests may spot two penguins preening, or tidying each other’s feathers with their beaks, to establish a close partnership between the pair. Pico and Douglas, the newest rockhopper penguins to join the colony at Shedd, hatched as a result of last year’s nesting season. While not all eggs laid are fertile or able to fully develop, there is always the possibility of a new chick joining the colony, and nesting season is a crucial step in the reproductive process for penguins. Each spring, Shedd’s animal care team provides both the rockhopper and Magellanic penguins with rocks, lavender stalks and pieces of hose to mimic materials found in their native habitats for nest building. Shedd’s breeding program and support of the nesting process each year contributes to the shared and cooperatively managed Species Survival Plan for southern rockhopper penguins, which are listed as a vulnerable population by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. For more information, visit www.sheddaquarium.org

Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez