Pygoscelis papua
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The gentoo penguin ( JEN-too) (Pygoscelis papua) is a species complex in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin (P. adeliae) and the Chinstrap penguin (P. antarcticus). The earliest scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a type locality in the Falkland Islands. The species calls in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud, trumpeting call, emitted with the head thrown back. A new gentoo penguin species, Pygoscelis kerguelensis sp. nov., was discovered in April 2026 in the Kerguelen Islands.
The application of "gentoo" to the penguin is unclear. Gentoo was an Anglo-Indian term to distinguish Hindus from Muslims. The English term may have originated from the Portuguese gentio ("pagan, gentile"). Some speculate that the white patch on the bird's head was thought to resemble a turban.
It may also be a variation of another name for this bird, "Johnny penguin", with Johnny being the English counterpart of the Spanish nickname Juanito and sounding vaguely like gentoo. The Johnny rook, a predator, is likely named after the Johnny penguin.
The specific name papua is a misnomer; in the original description...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands | 🇦🇶 Antarctica | |
| 2 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 🇬🇸 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | |
| 3 | Falkland Islands | 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhuhai Chimelong Ocean Kingdom | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | SeaWorld Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chimelong Spaceship | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | SeaWorld San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Moscow Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 9 | Shedd Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Basel Zoo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 11 | SeaWorld Abu Dhabi | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 12 | Aquarium of Genoa | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 13 | Antwerp Zoo | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 14 | Kansas City Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Milwaukee County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Guadalajara Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 19 | Hellabrunn Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 20 | Saint Louis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Edinburgh Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 22 | Calgary Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 23 | Moody Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Night Safari | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 25 | Indianapolis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 26 | Sea World | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 27 | Singapore Zoo | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 28 | Belfast Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 29 | The Green Zoo Wuppertal | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 30 | ABQ BioPark Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 31 | Tierpark Hagenbeck | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 32 | Asahiyama Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 33 | Bird Paradise | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 34 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 35 | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 36 | Riverbanks Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 37 | Rainforest Wild Asia | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 38 | Noichi Zoological Park of the Kochi Prefecture | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 39 | Loro Parque | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 40 | Odense Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 41 | Sydney Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 42 | Discovery Cove | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 43 | River Wonders | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 44 | L'Oceanogràfic | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 45 | Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 46 | Safari Masai Mara | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 47 | The Living Planet Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 48 | Oceanopolis | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 49 | Central Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 50 | Selwo Marina | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Gentoo Penguin sighting in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on a given day, based on 993 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 37 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to December
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Gentoo Penguin in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on a given day, against about 50% in June, the lowest month. July and August have too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gentoo Penguin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Gentoo Penguin sightings, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ranks 2nd at about 80%. The best odds are in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands (Antarctica, about 90%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gentoo Penguin is recorded against all the birds logged in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (993 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
