Prevalence of leucism in Pygocelid penguins of the Antarctic peninsula

Prevalence of leucism was observed in 3 Pygocelid penguin species from the Antarctic peninsula, including the first report in the literature of this condition in Chinstrap Penguins (P. antarcticus). The frequency of occurrence of leucism in the sample we observed was 1:114,000 in Adelie Penguins (P. adeliae), 1:146,000 in Chinstrap Penguins, and 1:20,000 in Gentoo Penguins (P. papua). The frequency of leucism in penguins of the Antarctic Peninsula is consistent with the frequency of recessive albinism observed in other bird species and suggests that leucism survives in part on the Antarctic Peninsula due to survival and successful reproduction of leucistic individuals.