Short-billed penguin (Liera)

The short-billed penguin (Allopachydyptes minutus) is a species of penguin that is native to much of the tropical, subtropical, and temperate coastlines of the southern and southeastern regions of Novolaurasia on Liera. The short-billed penguin is closely related to, but not directly descended from the long-extinct Pachydyptes that was harvested from Earth to Liera during the late Eocene, having already adapted to live in the warm coastal environments.

The short-billed penguin is a very large penguin, reaching the height of between 140 to 160 centimeters (4.5 to 5.2 feet) tall from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail, and having of mass of between 80 to 100 kilograms (176 to 220 lbs) in weight. Like all penguin species, short-billed penguins are flightless, have streamlined bodies to minimize drag while swimming, and wings that are more like stiff, flat flippers. The tongue is equipped with rear-facing barbs to prevent prey from escaping when caught. Males and females are similar in size and colouration. The adult short-billed penguin has deep black dorsal feathers, covering the head, back, dorsal part of the flippers, and tail. The black plumage is sharply delineated from the light-coloured plumage elsewhere. The wings' edges and underparts, chin, throat, and belly are white. The eyes are pale brown in color.

The short-billed penguin's average swimming speed is 7–11 km/h (4.3–6.8 mph). Short-billed penguins also "porpoise", a swimming technique used to breathe while maintaining speed. On land, the short-billed penguin alternates between walking with a wobbling gait and tobogganing—sliding over the ice on its belly, propelled by its feet and wing-like flippers. The short-billed penguin dives to depths of 200–350 meters (656–1148 feet), spending between seven to nine minutes submerged, during daylight hours, and less than 70 metres (229 ft) at night. Short-billed penguins eat various species of small fish, squid, jellyfish, marine worms, and krill. Fish constitute roughly 80% of their diet, except in winter months of January and February, when they make up only around 30%.

The short-billed penguin is able to breed at three years of age, although only a very small minority actually do then; the average age of first breeding is around 5–6 years. Short-billed penguins are serially monogamous. They have only one mate each year, and stay faithful to that mate. However, fidelity between years is less than 30%. The unusually long breeding cycle probably contributes to this low rate. The short-billed penguin has an extremely prolonged breeding cycle, taking around 14–16 months from laying to offspring fledging. Although pairs will attempt to breed annually, they are generally only successful one year in two, or two years in three in a triennial pattern in the species' southernmost range. The reproductive cycle begins in March to May, as birds return to colonies for a prenuptial moult. Those that were unsuccessful in breeding the previous season will usually arrive earlier. They then return to the sea for around three weeks before coming ashore in June or July.

The female short-billed penguin lays one pyriform (pear-shaped) white egg weighing 600 grams (1.3 lb). It is initially soft, but hardens and darkens to a pale greenish colour. It measures around 20 centimeters × 14 centimeters (7.8 inches × 5.5 inches). The egg is incubated for around 55 days with both birds sharing incubation in shifts of 6–18 days each. Hatching may take up to 2–3 days to complete, and chicks are born semi-altricial and nidicolous. In other words, they have only a thin covering of down, and are entirely dependent on their parents for food and warmth. The guard phase begins with the hatching of the chick. During the time of parental care, the parents alternate every 3–7 days, one guarding the chick while the other forages for food. The guard phase lasts for 30–40 days. By then the chick has grown much larger, and is better able to both keep warm and protect itself against most predators. Short-billed penguin chicks are very curious and will wander far when exploring their surroundings. The chicks form a group, called a crèche and are watched over by only a few adult birds; most parents leave their chick in these crèches to forage for themselves and their chick. Other species of penguins also practice this method of communal care for offspring.

The short-billed penguin is listed on CITES Appendix I, which means that all international commercial trade in short-billed penguins or their body parts is prohibited. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004, as the short-billed penguin is not currently thought to be threatened and have thrived in areas near Lieran people settlements. However, captive breeding programs may be beneficial for the species' survival.