At Edinburgh Zoo, gentoo penguins woo their mates with pebbles.
World Penguin Day: Gentoo penguins pick pebbles to impress mates
At the Edinburgh Zoo, gentoo penguins charm potential mates with carefully chosen pebbles painted by kids at a children’s hospital.
Who needs flowers or jewelry when you’ve got rocks?
In the penguin world, the ultimate romantic gesture is gifting the perfect pebble.
To mark the start of breeding season, gentoo penguins work to impress potential mates by carefully selecting stones to help build a shared nest — a courtship ritual known as “pebbling.”
At the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, penguins were filmed sifting through a pile of colorful pebbles with their beaks and delivering them to their partners.
In an adorable twist, the stones were hand‑painted by children at a local hospital, where they are able to watch the penguins choose their favorites via live webcams.
Watch the video above to see the gentoo penguins picking out the perfect pebble for their mates!
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