A Pebble for a Gentoo Penguin’s Nest

For gentoo penguins, pebbles are more than nest decoration. During courtship, a male may present a pebble to a female; it can also be used to build the nest. The image of a “marriage proposal” is a human metaphor, not a scientific explanation of the behavior. Some other penguin species also use pebbles in their nests, but this description should not be generalized to all penguins. The illustration is AI-generated.