In April 2020 the Aquarium of Niagara welcomed its first set of penguin chicks in 14 years!
The last successful hatching happened in April 2006. The Aquarium participates in the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Humboldt penguins. Humboldt penguins are considered threatened in their natural environment and have seen population declines due to human development, guano harvesting, overfishing of anchovies, and intense El Niño events.
The chicks are temporarily known as “Alpha and Beta” and will be named at a later time. The sex will be determined by a blood test.
Meet Alpha
- Hatched Wednesday, April 15th
- First weight: 85 grams
Meet Beta
- Hatched Saturday, April 18th
- First weight: 80 grams
The Parents
PJ, Jr. and Blanca came to the Aquarium of Niagara in Spring 2019 from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, W.A.
PJ, Jr. is a 7-year-old male and Blanca is a 5-year-old female.
Penguin chicks hatch after a 40-46 day incubation period. Parents share incubation and rearing duties equally.
Penguin Chick Registry
Just like human babies, penguin chicks require a lot of resources! That’s why we’ve set up a registry. You can help ensure they have a strong start by purchasing an item below!
- The Home Depot Gift Card
- Walmart Gift Card
- AMAZON Gift Card
- Gerber 10 Pack Organic Flatfold Birdseye Diaper
- Brinsea Products Larger Full Featured Brooder/Intensive Care Unit for Warming Newly Hatched Exotic Chicks or Sick and Injured Birds TLC-50 Advanced
- Eat Smart ESKS-10 Precision Elite Scale – 15 lb Capacity grams – pounds
- Luvable Friends Unisex Baby Cotton Rich Washcloths, Yellow, One Size
Ship items to: Aquarium of Niagara, 701 Whirlpool Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301. Email [email protected] with questions or to arrange dropping items off at the Aquarium.
Make A Donation To Celebrate Our New Penguin Chicks!
Your deductible gift will directly benefit the ongoing care of our animal collection.