How do Penguins Mate?

Penguins are birds, and therefore it makes sense that their physiology and mating habits will be similar to other birds. "Oh good," you may think , "now I can finally use all my knowledge of bird sex and apply it penguins!"
Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves... lets start off with this controversial video i made with footage of adelie penguins mating in Antarctica.

Do Penguins Mate for Life?

The short answer is no. Like 90% of all bird species, many species of penguins are serially monogamous which means that they are with one partner, but wont necessarily stay with the same partner over multiple breeding seasons. Some species of penguins such as the Adelie Penguins shown in the video are generally monogamous and will stay with the same partner over multiple seasons. Saying that penguins "mate for life" can be misleading because when a partner dies, they will usually be replaced by another. The greatest advantage of being monogamous over multiple breeding seasons is that instead of expending time and energy trying to attract a mate, it can be put towards reproduction. Further down the page I have endeavored to create a table stating the degree of monogamy of different species of penguins.

Do penguins make nests?

Many species of penguin make nests by starting with hollows in the ground that they fortify with rocks, mud, sticks or grass. Some penguins burrow into the ground or use caves, crevices or holes to next. Penguins that don't make nests such as the emperor penguins of Antarctica have their eggs sit on the their feet and keep them warm special brooding pouches.

What mating rituals do penguins have?

Penguins have a variety of mating rituals that vary between species. They call, bow and wave their flippers and preen one another. Here is an example of a mating ritual by emperor penguins from Wikipedia- "A lone male gives an ecstatic display, where it stands still and places its head on its chest before inhaling and giving a courtship call for 1–2 seconds; it then moves around the colony and repeats the call. A male and female then stand face to face, with one extending its head and neck up and the other mirroring it; they both hold this posture for several minutes. Once in pairs, couples waddle around the colony together, with the female usually following the male. Before copulation, one bird bows deeply to its mate, its bill pointed close to the ground, and its mate then does the same."

How do penguins have sex?

Everything you heard in the video is true, penguins do not have penises. Both sexes have orifaces called cloacas that are used both for reproduction and for waste. The female lies on her stomach while the male climbs onto her back. The female lifts her tail allowing their cloacas to touch and sperm to be transfered. This process does not take long, often lasting about 10 seconds.

Table of different penguin species breeding habits

Penguin Species	Breeding Terrain	Nest	Pairing
King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus	Rocky Shore	Nest of Stones	Serially monogamous (29% fidelity)
Emperor penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri	Ice and snow	No nest	Serially monogamous (15% fidelity)
Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae	Ice free polar coast	Nest of Stones	Monogamous
Chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica	Rocky Slopes	Nest of Stones	?
Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua	Ice free	Nest of Stones	?
Little blue penguin, Eudyptula minor	Temperate Shoreline	Burrows, caves, crevices, logs, etc.	Serially monogamous
White-flippered penguin, Eudyptula albosignata (provisional)	Temperate Coast	Burrows, dunes, vegetacion	?
Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus	Temperate coast	Burrows, bushes	Monogamous
Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti	Temperate/ Tropical coast	Burrows, caves, cracks	?
Galapagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus	Tropical coast	nests	monogamous
African penguin, Spheniscus demersus	Temperate coast	Burrows in guano or sand	monogamous
Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes	Temperate coast	Burrows, vegetacion	monogamous
Fiordland penguin, Eudyptes pachyrynchus	Temperate forest	?	?
Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus	Temperate island coast	Holes lined with vegetation, pebbles, mud	Possibly monogamous
Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri	Rocky terrain	?	?
Western rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome	Rocky terrain	?	?
Eastern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes filholi	Rocky terrain	?	?
Northern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi	Rocky terrain	?	?
Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus	Sub Antarctic coast	Shallow scrape in the ground lined with items	Monogamous (75% fidelity)
Royal penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli (disputed)	Beaches, vegetated slopes	Shallow scrape in the ground	?

A question mark means that I am yet to find the information. Please check out some of our other pages - recommended next is "How do Penguins Stand Up":