All-black and all-white penguins - It is hard to be different

 

It is hard to be different - either you end up on the front pages, or you will be bullied.

Black penguins

The black color is due to melanism that causes an overproduction of melanin, and the birds are wholly or partially black. All- black penguins are so rare that they end up on front pages when seen.

From gallery of King Penguins

All-black penguin.

I saw this all-black king penguin on South Georgia in 2008, but it is likely just a normal colored penguin after a bath in black mud.


For several years there were rumors of a black king penguin at Fortuna Bay on South Georgia Island.

In March 2010 a black king penguin spotted, photographed and filmed by Andrew Evans on South Georgia Island near Antarctica.

Photo by Andrew Evans from National Geographic.
See the video seen here: The rare black penguin

This penguin ends up on the front pages.

Albino - Leucism penguins

Albinos always have red eyes, and often they have very poor eye vision. Unusually they die very young.

Partial albinos or leucism which states are more viable. Leucism is a genetic defect that leads to lack of pigment melanin. Penguins with leucism are very rare, and only one out of approx. 200,000 penguins are suffering from this defect.

From gallery of Penguins in Antarctica

All-white (Leucistic) Chinstrap penguin.

I saw this Chinstrap penguin on Deception Island in Antarctica. The lack of melanin means that the feathers are almost completely white. The other Chinstrap penguins were very aggressive towards this white individual.

This penguin ends up on being bullied.