While Chicagoans were confined to their apartments this spring, the Shedd Aquarium's Magellanic and rockhopper penguins were busy building nests and prepping for breeding season. Last month, their hard work paid off, and the downtown institution welcomed four new penguin chicks—the most Magellanic penguins ever born and bred at the aquarium.
Three of the four chicks hatched on Monday, May 18, with the fourth and final chick following a few days later on Thursday, May 21. Each tiny penguin weighed between 66 and 85 grams, which is just about as heavy as a tennis ball. After several weeks and daily checkups, the birds now weigh between 1,200 and 2,000 grams. They're expected to reach full size after about two to three months.
Caretakers report that the fluffy creatures are mobile and curious, though they're not quite ready to go on a field trip through the Shedd, like their elders Wellington, Edward and Annie did during lockdown. Over the coming weeks and months, the aquarium's care team will be able to determine the sex of the four penguins and give them names.
If you want to support the Shedd Aquarium while it remains closed to the public, consider symbolically adopting a penguin ($50), donating directly to the institution or becoming a member ($75). When the Shedd does reopen, you'll be able to see its newest members waddling around the Polar Play Zone; in the meantime, take a look at the adorable photos the care team has captured of the new chicks.
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