A penguin recognized by a red-orange bill and conspicuous white patches above its eyes.
Its bill is vivid red-orange. Males tend to be larger than females, though the difference can be hard to see.
Gentoo penguins can learn to associate an underwater sound with a fish that appears afterward. After repeated experiences, they approach the underwater sound source before the fish arrives. While diving, they can detect sound and use it as a cue to a subsequent event.
A 2022 study at Odense Zoo, Denmark, used an underwater speaker and a fish-delivery pipe. Sound and fish were initially presented together, then separated by delays of one and two seconds. During tests in March–April 2021, observers scored video for approaches during the two seconds after sound playback. In 230 trials pooled without individual identification, multiple observers agreed on a response in approximately 78%. No response occurred during that interval in 43 no-sound control trials. A subsequent experiment also confirmed conditioning in three identifiable birds. Underwater acoustic information can thus influence penguin behaviour alongside vision.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
At Yorke Bay in the Falkland Islands, highly pathogenic avian influenza caused substantial losses in a gentoo penguin colony. A government announcement dated 2 December 2025 reported that a site closed in October had reopened conditionally following reduced mortality. It remained designated an infected place at that time. Visitors were required to respect roped boundaries, remain at least 10 metres from wildlife and follow biosecurity measures, while monitoring of the remaining penguins continued.