Penguin Chicks Now on Display

Finally! The five Humboldt penguins born in April have joined the colony and are now on view in the Woodland Park Zoo's penguin exhibit.  The chicks have lost their fuzzy baby down, in favor of the sleek look, which is much more swim-friendly (see video above).  But you can still tell the babies from the adults by their light gray feathers. 

For the past few weeks, the chicks have prepared for their public debut with a lot of one-on-one time with the zookeepers to get used to interacting with zoo staff and to learn how to enter and exit the exhibit.  They've also been learning how to swim in a shallow pool. Of course, Flip camera footage ensues.

And because we just celebrated Independence Day, the zoo is offering everyone the chance to exercise their inalienable rights to name zoo babies:

Photo credit: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Penguin fans can connect with the zoo online to help name Diego and Radar's chick, a male, which hatched on April 25.

Fans can submit name suggestions for the chick to the wall of the zoo's Facebook page beginning July 7 through July 8, noon PST. To honor the Humboldt penguin's Chilean and Peruvian native range, fans are encouraged to submit Spanish-language names.

Penguin keepers will select their three favorite names from the submissions, and fans will then vote on July 9 on the zoo's Facebook page for their top pick.

Yay on submitting baby penguin names; boo on preference being given to those that are geographically appropriate.  Just once, I'd like the top vote-getter to get naming rights, even if it's not culturally correct.  Then we'd end up with a baby penguin named Stephen Colbert, Justin Bieber, Team Jacob, or Kitty.