Gentoo Penguin

gentoo penguin, (Pygoscelis papua), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by a band of white feathers extending across the top of the head from just above each eye. Other distinguishing features include a black throat, a brush tail that is large in comparison with other penguin species, and a bill that is mostly deep orange or red.

The species may be divided into two subspecies that inhabit several Antarctic and subantarctic islands. The larger subspecies, Pygoscelis papua papua, lives on a number of islands between 40° and 60° S, including the Falkland and South Sandwich islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Crozet and Kerguelen islands in the Indian Ocean, and Macquarie Island in the Pacific Ocean. In contrast, P. papua ellsworthi inhabits the Antarctic Peninsula and its nearby islands. This taxonomy was called into question by a 2020 study of the penguin’s morphological and genetic characters, which showed evidence that gentoos comprised not one species but four—P. taeniata (Kerguelen Island), P. papua (Falkland Islands), P. ellsworthi (Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands), and P. poncetii (South Georgia).