What happins when a penguin is rejected by its mate?

Question

penguins mate for life, I'm looking for what happens if a penguin is rejected when choosing a mate? and what happens if a penguin is rejected by its mate? so its two distinct questions.

Answer 1

Emperor penguins don't mate for life. They generally choose a new mate each year. If a penguin is rejected by its mate, it will have no mate for that year.

I don't know about other penguins.

Answer 2

Well I have never kept a penguin but I HAVE kept geese-and THEY also mate for life so I would think that it would be the same. If a courting attempt is rebuffed when chosing a mate it is the same as anywhere else in the animal kingdom. Either the courter will go on attempting to woo its intended or it will give up. I am saying "it" but it is generally the male which does the courting and the female which allows herself to be persuaded but occasionally a female will initiate things. When the goose's mate dies the other seems to grieve and calls for the mate. Eventually if there is another free individual available and it is compatible it will pair up and bond which requires many rituals. I have known for an unpaired individual to try and form a menage a trois with a pair and its quite amusing. Both birds vigorously repell the intruder with strident calls and attacks. This only happens when the pair have a nest. At other times the birds will flock together without dispute.

As to what happens when a partner is rejected after bonding I have never known it to happen. I have known some randy ganders try it on with an unattached female but if his mate notices then feathers fly! It seems that with birds that pair for life-geese, the albatross, cranes etc. for life means exactly that. They don't have social workers in the bird world.

Answer 3

Since penguins usually don't place too much sentimental value in their partner, most penguin relationships are instinctual. So, if a male penguin gets rejected while performing its courtship, it merely moves to the next appealing penguin until it finds its ideal mate. In fact. penguins place more value in birthing and rearing a penguin chick then caring for its partner.

If the mate dies, then the penguin might grieve for a period of time, but usually they get over it by the next mating season.

You have a heartbroken penguin? I could probably give you more info if I had more info to go off of.

Answer 4

You can try introducing another penguin to it and see what happens.

In my experience with a species that DOES mate for life, if a mate dies, the penguin just goes on single for the rest of its life. Then again, I have a flock of about 24 penguins. Pretty much all of them have matched themselves up with a mate, so the widowed penguin doesn't have a choice but to remain single. I don't know what would happen if you tried to re-match it with a different penguin...

Answer 5

The rejected penguin could get it's compensation through the Small Claim Tribunal. And if the other party do not make the payment. The rejecteed penguin could further file a court sue against the other party until things are resolved in the legal way within the penguin world.