Spring is here! Penguins building nests at Aquarium

The penguins at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium are building their nests in preparation for chicks.

CHICAGO -- It's another sign of spring! The penguins at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium have begun building their nests as mating season gets underway.

A Shedd Aquarium trainer lays out rocks and sticks the Magellanic and rockhopper penguins will use to make nests ahead of mating season.WLS

The nesting materials were introduced to the penguin habitat Tuesday, signaling the beginning of a several weeks long nest building process for the birds.WLS

A rockhopper penguin picks up a twig as nest building begins at Shedd.WLS

A rockhopper penguin lays the groundwork for a nest, using twigs and rocks found in the habitat. Over the next several weeks, the penguins will undergo nest building.WLS

The nest building over the next several weeks will allow guests a glimpse into mating season for rockhopper and Magellanic penguins.WLS

This week, trainers at the Shedd introduced sticks and stones necessary for nestbuilding into the rockhopper and Magellanic penguin habitat.
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Over the next few weeks, the male birds will carefully select and arrange their nests to attract a female mate.

If they're successful, eggs could be seen by the end of April into May!