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The Gentoo Penguin is a member of the genus Pygoscelis, known as the "brush-tailed penguins", shared with its relatives the Adélie penguin and chinstrap penguin. It can easily be distinguished from other penguin species by the wide white stripe resembling a bonnet (or the frame of headphones!) that stretches across the top of its head. Gentoo penguins are also identifiable by their long and prominent tails, which sweep from side to side as they waddle across the barren terrain they call "home". They inhabit the far reaches of the southern hemisphere, residing primarily in Antarctica and the continent's surrounding islands. Although the species is still considered to be of Least Concern by IUCN index, gentoo penguins nevertheless brave a difficult existence in the wild -- a fearsome predator underwater, but by no means the top of the food chain. Depending on the individual breeding site in question, gentoos usually prey on crustaceans, but will also eat fish depending on availability. The penguins themselves are preyed upon by sea lions, leopard seals and killer whales. Aiding the gentoos in both snatching prey and escaping the grasp of their predators is their incredible swimming speed, reaching a blistering pace of 36 kilometres (22 miles) per hour, the fastest of all penguins. Gentoos are mostly monogamous through the breeding season, and some pair-bonds have been observed to last through a given pair's lifetimes.

Gentoos are mostly monogamous through the breeding season, and some pair-bonds have been observed to last through a given pair's lifetimes. Gentoo couples construct their nests out of stone pebbles, and despite living in colonies with one another, can become very territorial and engage in nest disputes over both space and pebble ownership during the all-important mating season. Females lay two eggs on average each season, and both parents take turns at incubating them. After about a month, they hatch into completely adorable gentoo chicks, which will be ready to enter the water about three months later. Although adult gentoos have no land-based predators, mothers and fathers need to be on the lookout for skuas, aggressive (and flight-capable) seabirds that tend to prey on their eggs and young.

Compared to other penguins inhabiting the Antarctic Circle, gentoos are not quite as adversely affected by the melting ice brought on by the changing climate, as they actively seek out non-snowy environments as the locations of their breeding grounds. However, they are as susceptible as any other animal to human activities like oil exploration, overfishing, and egg collection, and while their numbers have largely remained stable, some colonies have experienced a heavy decline in the last century. They are nevertheless adaptable and hardy penguins that do their best to rise to nature's challenges.

As a fun fact, historians are actually not sure where the word "gentoo" comes from. A popular theory surmises that it may have come from the Portuguese "gentil" (meaning "gentile"), but there is no strong evidence to substantiate that claim. The word is nevertheless treated as a regular adjective rather than a proper adjective, and is therefore written without necessary capitalisation.

What a remarkable Friend! You want to be her fan now, right? Of course you do. Don't forget that our very own Gentoo Penguin Friend, Gean, will get to perform her first solo song in the upcoming PPP album, PPP in the Sky!