This island was home to the planet’s largest penguin colony. Here’s why it just lost that title, tell me about this news today

The island in question is Zavodovski Island, a remote volcanic landmass in the South Sandwich archipelago that historically held the title of hosting the planet’s largest single penguin colony.

KVIA

According to a study published by the British Antarctic Survey, the island has lost that status following a massive population collapse. Between 2011 and 2025, the island’s chinstrap penguin population plummeted by roughly 63 percent, dropping from about 1.09 million breeding pairs down to 402,000.

The Straits Times

Researchers attribute the crash to climate-induced changes that are shrinking krill stocksthe primary food source for chinstrap penguins. While chinstrap numbers dropped drastically, another species on the island, the macaroni penguin, saw an increase and now outnumbers the chinstraps, but the net total loss stripped Zavodovski of its crown.

The Straits Times

The title of the world’s largest penguin colony has now shifted to Cape Adare in Antarctica, which features a thriving population of Adélie penguins. Due to the severity of these changes, scientists are now urging that chinstrap penguins be reclassified as endangered.

CBS News+ 1