Researchers find Antarctic penguin breeding is heating up sooner, and that’s a problem

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by By SETH BORENSTEINJanuary 20, 2026 at 05:23 PM

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long article 4 min

Researchers have found that Antarctic penguins are breeding earlier due to warming temperatures. Between 2012 and 2022, temperatures in their breeding grounds increased by 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, causing three species of Adelie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins to start reproducing about two weeks earlier than they did a decade prior. This shift is significant because it coincides with the time when resources are most abundant, particularly food for young chicks. The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, used remote control cameras to monitor penguin breeding colonies from 2011 to 2021. The findings indicate that climate change is altering the life cycles of these species, creating winners and losers among them, with gentoo penguins experiencing an earlier shift than other two species.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Washington 30% Journal of Animal Ecology 40% UK 40% Oxford University 50% Fiona Suttle 50% chinstrap penguins ×260% Ignacio Juarez Martinez 60% gentoo penguins ×470% Antarctica ×270% Adelie penguins ×380%

Keywords

penguin breeding 100% climate change 90% warming temperatures 80% adelie penguins 70% gentoo penguins 60% chinstrap penguins 60% life cycle 50% food resources 50% antarctica 40%