Galápagos penguins: They’re just like us. Except for the part where they regurgitate the food into their offspring’s mouth. Because that’s just gross.
Anyway, it turns out that it’s not only hard for human offspring to leave the nest! Just like young adults who rely on Mom and Dad for some extra food money or a home-cooked meal, Galápagos penguins can also return to their parents to beg for food. And apparently penguins find it just as hard to say no to their kids.
According to a report published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, researchers studied the penguins in the Galápagos Islands and found that while it’s rare for adult Galápagos penguins to come home for a feeding, it does happen. Maybe these birds try to make it on their own, but entry-level penguin jobs don’t pay that much and they hate their crappy studio apartment and they haven’t had a good meal in weeks so they’re like, “Mom, dad, I just remembered that I miss you.” But that’s just my personal theory.
And you know those really loud, irritating noises your kid makes when they really want something? Turns out, penguins do that too.
Researchers watched the birds squeak and beg until their parents fed them. Of course, children are never satisfied. In this video, a fully-grown penguin continues squawking away because he wants more food from his parent. So what does the parent do? Dives into the water to escape.
That’s exactly what I would do. Except I would dive into my bedroom and lock the door so I could get a little quiet to drink coffee and check my email. Being a parent is hard.
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