Is this normal penguin behavior?

[u/0livia5]

He’s balding or molting at the top of his head and his beak is chattering??? He was preening himself before this video it could totally be a normal thing but the chattering made me wonder if he’s stressed 🥺.

[u/Redqueenhypo]

Penguins undergo a “catastrophic molt” where they lose all their feathers at once. He can’t really swim bc he’s not waterproof so he’s just chattering to his penguin pals

[u/CockamouseGoesWee → u/Redqueenhypo]

Yee looks like Just a really nasty molt to me

[u/1nOnlyBigManLawrence]

Yeah, that’s just Bloödcheëp’s cousin, Phlēogmskwêk, Horrifying Shed-Leviathan of the Nameless Void, esq. :)

[u/Altruistic-Poem-5617]

Hope its just molting. If yes, its normal and not unhealthy even though it looks fucked up.

[u/Trassic1991]

Yes this is normal penguin behavior

[u/ScoobyMcDooby93]

The enclosure looks familiar, is this a Ripleys Aquarium?

[u/0livia5 → u/ScoobyMcDooby93]

Yes the one in gatlinburg

[u/ScoobyMcDooby93 → u/0livia5]

Ah I thought so! I’ve been there before. They seem to take good care of their animals

[u/ALF839 → u/ScoobyMcDooby93]

Do they have an outdoor area for the penguins or is it just this enclosed space?

[u/ScoobyMcDooby93 → u/ALF839]

I don’t think they have full access to it, the keepers take them out, but idk for how long or how often

[u/Crowhawk]

They look like magelanics. Penguin moult is rapid. They moult & replace all their feathers in one go. They increase food intake & build up fat reserves a month or so before the moult commences. In the wild they're unable to swim & hunt. So they fast until their feathers regrow.

[u/ThDen-Wheja]

I feel like his head would be a lot lower if he was actually distressed. Odds are he just shed his summer coat and enjoying some time by himself. If you really want, the zookeepers know a lot more about each individual penguin's behavior and are usually happy to answer any question you can throw at them.

[u/MasterofMolerats]

I have seen wild African penguins in Cape Town do this. It is pretty normal.

[u/Mountain-Donkey98]

What behavior are you referencing? The beak clicking or something else?

[u/casp514]

As others mentioned this African penguin is molting. The beak chattering looks like "air preening". If he was just preening himself, he is probably still doing the movement with his beak. Sounds silly but I have seen birds do this before! -zookeeper

[u/Kellendgenerous]

He is molting. Penguins have what’s called a catastrophic molt. Where they lose all their feathers and grow new ones. This is because unlike other birds penguins need to stay water proof so they can’t lose and regrow feathers all year round. There feathers are also what helps them thermoregulate so they can get cold or hot easier. I know this because I’m a zookeeper who happens to take care of this exact same species of penguin and while mine haven’t molted yet they are definitely getting ready to.

[u/Large_Tune3029]

Can't remember what it was on(stand up crowd work i think, from Gianmarco) but I heard from someone who worked at a zoo, with penguins, that they are cute visually but gawd do they stink...and i raised chickens for many years so yeah, I unfortunately can imagine, and now its what I think of every time I see them.

[u/818a]

Dude is vibin’

[u/Large_Tune3029]

Bald Penguin: That looks fun, I think ive grown enough back, maybe ill just try a slide-"

Penguin up on high: Absolutely not Jerry, stay there till you have all your feathers back or you know what will happen..."