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Scientists have identified a new species of penguin, Pygoscelis kerguelensis, known as the southeastern gentoo penguin, for the first time in more than a century. The species occurs on the remote Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean, about 1,200 miles north of Antarctica. The discovery was based primarily on genomic evidence, which revealed that gentoo penguins previously considered a single species actually comprise four distinct species.
About the Southeastern Gentoo Penguin
Researchers analysed whole-genome sequences of 64 penguins from 10 breeding colonies covering almost the entire geographical range of gentoo penguins. The study, published in Communications Biology in 2026, identified four distinct species: the northern gentoo (Pygoscelis papua), southern gentoo (Pygoscelis ellsworthi), eastern gentoo (Pygoscelis taeniata) and the newly described southeastern gentoo (Pygoscelis kerguelensis).
The southeastern gentoo is described as a cryptic species, meaning it is genetically distinct from closely related species despite having a very similar physical appearance. Researchers found only subtle differences in body size and vocalisations, while the genetic differences were much more pronounced.
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