Facts About Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are flightless birds that live on the freezing Antarctic ice mass and in the surrounding icy sea. They are the largest penguins reaching around 45 inches in height when fully grown and weigh up 88 lbs and have a life span of 15 to 20 years in the wild.

Emperor penguins are only found only in the southern hemisphere and population concentrations are found in Dronning Maud Land, Princess Elizabeth Islands, the Ross Sea and Weddell Sea.

 Emperor Penguins - Author Christopher Michel 

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Surviving the Cold

They form large colonies which have complex social interactions. Emperors communicate vocally using unique sounds and varying frequencies to help parents and young penguins to recognise and communicate with each other.

Their physiology has evolved to allow them to survive days on the open pack ice and swim and hunt in the perishing cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean. They have around 70 feathers per square inch which form a dense insulating coat to help protect from the cold.

Their bones are solid and they have developed the ability to operate at levels with low oxygen and can slow down their metabolism, even shutting down non-essential body functions for periods without coming to harm.

They cooperate socially by huddling together in a group to escape the wind chill and conserve warmth. The ones in the centre of the group are the warmest and most protected whereas those on the perimeters are exposed to the wind and cold.

To compensate for this emperors take turns moving between the protected centre and on the exposed perimeter. This prevents individuals from over exposure to cold conditions and enhances the chances of group and individual survival.

With long cold winters spent living and even breeding on open ice such cooperation is necessary. They have also been observed cooperating while hunting.

Breeding

Penguins breed in the winter and females lay a single egg and then abandon it leaving the males alone to incubate it. The females then spend the next two months hunting, squid, krill and fish often needing to travel some 50 miles to reach the open ocean, depending on the ice conditions.

Though comical and ungainly on land in the sea emperor penguins are in their element. They can dive deeper than any other bird reaching depths of 1,850 feet and staying submerged for longer than 20 minutes.

Hatching

While the females hunt and eat the males keeps the egg warm. Unlike other birds emperors do not incubate their eggs by sitting on it. Male emperors have a brood pouch, as do females, which is a feathery skin. The egg is balanced on the male's feet and the pouch is used to cover it over and keep it warm. For the next two months the males have no food and are vulnerable to the harsh, unforgiving Antarctic weather while they await the return of the females.

When the females eventually return with full bellies they feed the hatched chicks by regurgitation. This leaves the males free to return to the sea to hunt for food for themselves. The females then protect the chicks with their own brood pouches keeping them warm and safe. A chick would last only a couple of minutes outside of this protective pouch.

Summer

The Antarctic summer begins in December and as the environment gradually warms the pack ice begins breaking up near the breeding site. The young emperors are now grown enough to swim and now have access to the ocean where they can fish independently.

Despite its isolated location the emperor penguin does have predators. Its enemies are leopard seals, walrus, and killer whales.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image: File:Emperor Penguins (11240188915).jpg - From Wikimedia Commons - Emperor Penguins - AuthorChristopher Michel  - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Green Packs, 15 Interesting Facts About the Emperor Penguin

 National Geographic, Emperor penguins

Facts About King Penguins

King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are the second largest penguins in the world and closely relate to the Emperor penguin which is the world's largest penguin. Although they are closely related they rarely meet.  King penguins prefer the warmer environment found on sub-Antarctic islands where Emperors prefer the colder Antarctic continent and islands. 

King Penguins at Salisbury Plain 
Author Liam Quinn from Canada

 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence

Range

They have breeding colonies in the sub-Antarctic locations of Marion Island, Iles Crozet, Macquarie Islands, Heard Island and the Falkland Islands. They are not thought of as migratory birds.

Brighter Future

Seal hunters in the 19th and 20th centuries killed King penguins for their oil, skin, eggs and flesh which were used to for food, clothing and fuel. Despite past exploitation when populations came under threat they now seem to have stabilised and increased in some locations and their future now seems brighter.

Description

King penguins are distinctive in appearance with black heads with orange ear patches and a silver grey back. They also have orange colouring on their breasts, longer bills and their bodies are slender, distinguishing them from Emperors who are similar in appearance.

Male and female penguins are difficult to tell apart because of similarities in their physique and looks. To tell them apart it is necessary to look at their patterns of behaviour.

Most species of penguin hop to get around on land but the King penguin runs. In the sea they are in their element using powerful flippers to take them down to depths of around 700 feet on dives which may last over 15 minutes. They hunt the deep waters for squid, krill, plankton and small fish.

Main Predators

Killer whales and leopard seals are the main predators of the King penguin in the sea who often wait in ambush just below the sea surface just off shore for unwary penguins. On land birds such as the Giant petrel, skuas and sheathbills will steal eggs and any young birds unprotected by adults at the smallest opportunity.

Breeding

King penguins form breeding colonies of up to 100,000 individuals on beaches and in valleys preferring to be on level ground close to the sea. Though they are highly social birds living closely to one another during the breeding season they will guard their own space aggressively.
Usually a warning peck or slap with a flipper is enough to see off intruders and full scale battles are avoided. Those penguins that have not reached maturity enough to breed, or are non-breeding, tend to move away and search for food away from the breeding grounds.

Incubation

The breeding season of the King penguins is unique in that it is unusually long. Eggs can be laid at any time between November and April. King penguins do not built nests and males and females share the task of caring for eggs which are incubated on their feet taking around 5 weeks to hatch. This obviously limits their mobility though they do usually manage to avoid Elephant seals which sometimes lumber through the breeding grounds.

The whole process of courtship, laying and incubating eggs and the hatching of chicks often taking longer than 14 months means annual breeding is impossible. Chicks of varying ages are present in the colonies at all times because of this.

Hatching

When chicks finally hatch they have soft dark brown down. They will have to fast between meals for periods while the adults go to sea to feed themselves. Chicks are kept together in nursery groups for warmth and protection through the winter until they are mature enough to fledge in the summer.

© September 28, 2009,  zteve t evans

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Originally Published: September 28, 2009 on Helium.com titled Bird facts: King penguin by ztevc t evans

Image: File:King Penguins at Salisbury Plain (5725157316).jpg From Wikimedia Commons - King Penguins at Salisbury Plain - Image Author:Liam Quinn from Canada -  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence.

BBC, Nature, Wildlife - King penguin 

British Antarctic Survfey, King penguin

King Penguin From Wikipedia

Facts About Chinstrap Penguins

Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) are the second most numerous species of penguin after the Macaroni with an estimated seven million pairs. Their populations are found mainly along the coastal region of the South Sandwich Isles, South Shetlands and the South Orkneys in vast concentrated colonies. They also have smaller breeding colonies south of New Zealand on the Balleny Islands.

Chinstrap penguins tobogganing -  Author: Liam Quinn from Canada-
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Description

Their distinguishing feature is a narrow ring of black feathers running underneath the cheeks and chin, from ear to ear like a strap from which it takes its name. This strap distinguishes them from Gentoos and the Adelie penguin.
Chinstraps are smaller than Emperor, King and Gentoo penguins but bigger than Little Blue or Fairy penguins. They stand about 27 inches tall and weigh about nine pounds.

Behaviour

Chinstraps communicate vocally and by using rituals which are performed by gesturing, bowing, preening, calling, head and flipper waving. Aggression may be displayed by pointing, staring and charging.

Diet

The Chinstrap hunts for small fish, krill, and crustaceans. They hunt between the ice packs near the shorelines, though there have been sightings of Chinstraps in the open ocean.
Generally they feed close by their breeding colonies using pursuit diving to catch prey in the hours between midnight and noon. They dive to depths of about two hundred feet lasting less than one minute and use flippers to reach speed up to 20 miles and hour.

Mobility

Chinstraps are ungainly on land and will often clamber out of the sea and up inclines using all four limbs. They can also jump considerable distances to reach safe footholds and are known to lie on their stomachs using their flippers and feet to power along like a toboggan.

Breeding

Chinstraps will often prefer lofty sites for nesting that may become free of snow quicker providing a longer period of time to nurture their chicks. In November or December they build nests from stones on land where the female lays two eggs. They share the incubation duties until the eggs hatch in around seven or eight weeks.

Other penguin species give preference to the strongest chick but Chinstraps treat both chicks the same. Some experts think that this may be because of access to the sea being restricted by ice and denying adults the chance to hunt may affect the survival rate of chicks.

The main enemy of Chinstraps are the Leopard seal in the sea and Brown Skuas and Sheathbills on land.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

© September 28, 2009 zteve t evans

File:Chinstrap Penguins tobogganing (6020388906).jpg From Wikimedia Commons - Chinstrap penguins tobogganing -  Author:Liam Quinn from Canada - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

 British Antarctic Survey, Chinstrap penguin

Chinstrap Penguin From Wikipedia

BBC, Nature, Wildlife, Chinstrap penguin

Facts About Little Blue Penguins

Little Blue penguins (Eudyptula minor) are also known as Fairy penguins, or Blue penguins. Their Maori name is Kororā. They are only found in the wild in the Southern Hemisphere along the coasts of New Zealand, Tasmania and Australia. Standing at between 16 and 17 inches and weighing around 2 pounds fully grown they are small indeed compared to Emperor or King penguins

 Little Blue penguin - Image  Author Sinead Friel

 Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

In fact, they are the smallest species of penguin in the world which is why some call them Fairy penguins. Their plumage is of grey blue feathers which is why they are also called Little Blues or Blues by others.

The White-flippered Penguin

The White-flippered penguin is considered to be a subspecies of the Little Blue penguin and limited to areas in or around New Zealand's Motunau Island, Banks Peninsula and the North Canterbury coast. The distinguishing feature between the two is that the flippers of the White-flippered penguin have a white stripe around the edge which is absent from the Little Blues.

Hunting

Little Blue penguins like to spend most of the day hunting for food in the sea preferring shallow waters by the coastline where they congregate together. When dusk begins to fall they return noisily to their colonies where they live in rock crevices or burrows. At dawn they will return again to the sea making considerable noise along the way. They hunt for squid, anchovies, plankton, pilchards near to the shore and dive to about 30 feet deep to take sea horses, and crustaceans from the seabed swallowing their prey whole.

Breeding

In June females are met by males performing raucous and intricate courting rituals. Between June and August is the height of the egg laying period and the female produces two eggs which will need incubating for about five weeks.

Little Blues will use rock crevices or dig long burrows to use as nest and to lay eggs in. They mate for life and both male and female take it in turns to incubate the eggs and look after the chicks that are constantly attended to during their first three weeks of life.

In the following five weeks the adult birds will visit only to bring them regurgitated food. Following this period they then leave the nest, taking naturally to the sea, and catch food for themselves.

Predators

They have an average life expectancy of around seven years in the wild. In the sea their main predators are Lion, Fur, and Leopard seals, sharks and Killer whales. On land their main threats come from Gulls, Sea Eagles and man-made hazards such as plastic, oil spills, net fishing, getting run over on roads, and the loss of breeding grounds. They also are threatened by introduced species such as snake, foxes, feral cats, dogs, and rats, lizards and snakes that take eggs and kill chicks.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image - File:Eudyptula minor -Featherdale Wildlife Park, Doonside, New South Wales, Australia-8a.jpg from Wikimedia Commons - Image AuthorSinead Friel  Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Little Penguin From Wikipedia

Department of Conservation, Te Papa Atawtbai - Little penguin/kororā

Facts About Gentoo Penguins

Of all the penguin species the Gentoo (pronounced, jen too) penguin is the most geographically widespread. The largest populations are found in colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-antarctic islands though they are not as numerous as other species on these islands such as the Macaroni penguin.

 Gentoo penguins - 

 Author Liam Quinn from Canada -
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence.

The Kerguelen Islands, South Georgia and especially the Falkland Islands all have significantly large breeding colonies. Gentoos belong to the same brush-tailed genus of Pygoscelis as Adelie and Chinstrap penguins.  Over the last century they have fallen victim to human activities losing numbers and habitat. However due to recent conservation efforts their numbers appear to be more stable.

Distinguishing Features

Gentoos are smaller than Emperor and King penguins but larger than their cousins the Adelie and Chinstrap penguins. Gentoos can be recognised from Chinstraps and Adelies by their brightly coloured orangey-red bills and striking patches of white behind their eyes.  As they walk their tail feathers stick out stiffly and when in the sea they are easy to see as their tails stick up like a flag.

Diet

Gentoos like to hunt close to the breeding colony which helps them to feed their chicks easily. They hunt mainly fish, krill and squid with males seeming to prefer to eat fish while females show preference for krill.

Gentoos are known to cooperate with each other while hunting, gathering in their hundreds to form rafts to help catch prey. Although they can dive to about 330 feet most prey is caught using pursuit dives lasting about 30 seconds.

Breeding

Gentoos build round nests on uninhabited, rocky shores out of what ever materials can be found though they appear to prefer vegetation and grass. They will fight over stones and steal material from other nests.

The female lays two eggs in September or October. Usually the second egg is laid three days after the first and is often smaller. Both parents care for the eggs until they hatch about 5 weeks after.
The availability of food and the presence of predators will determine the survival of the chicks. Preferential treatment will be given to the strongest chick if food is scarce and the weakest may well not survive.

After about a month the chick will leave the nest to join creche or nursery group for warmth and protection while its parents search for food. When the chicks have grown their adult plumage usually after about 3 months they will be ready to leave the creche and head for the sea and hunt independently.

Predators

Birds such as falcons, gulls and sheathbills will steal eggs or prey upon chicks and young birds on land and elephant seal crush nests and eggs as they lumber along. In the sea Leopard seals, Sea Lions and Killer whales are their main threat.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

File:Gentoo Penguins coming ashore (5607601419).jpg

From Wikimedia Commons

 Gentoo penguins -  Author Liam Quinn from Canada - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence.

Gentoo Penguin from Wikipedia

International Penguin Conservation Work Group

National Geographic - Gentoo Penguins, Pygoscelis papua

Facts About Macaroni Penguins

The Macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) are the most numerous penguins in the world. Estimates place it at 12 million breeding pairs with the Chinstrap penguin the second most numerous. It got its name from English explorers from the way its crest of orange yellow feathers were similar to feathers worn in the hats of 18th century men who were known as macaronis. A term which was used in the song Yankee Doodle.

Macaroni Penguins Grooming Each Other -

Author Liam Quinn from Canada -

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

Description

There are six species of crested penguin and the Macaroni is the largest of these crested birds. Though being 25 inches tall and weighing 11 pounds it is not as large as the Emperor or the King Penguin neither of which have crests.

Range

Macaronis can be found inhabiting the Antarctic and subantarctic regions. They have large populations established in various colonies on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Heard Island, Isles Crozet, Kerguelen and Marion Island. Despite their huge numbers they do come under threat from oil spills and the increase of fishing in the area.

Macaroni penguins look similar to other crested species. Their distinguishing feature is an orange, yellow crest which starts in a wide strip crossing their forehead to join between the centre of their eyes. They look most similar to Royal penguins though these usually have white faces where as Macaronis have black.

Diet

Macaronis live on a diet of fish, squid, krill and crustaceans. They hunt by pursuit diving often to depths of up to 100 feet though they have been observed at time at depths of 300 feet. They do hunt at night sometimes though they do not tend to dive more than twenty feet deep.

Breeding

Macaronis breed in huge, crowded, raucous colonies in the summer months. They like rough, sloping ground with nesting pairs taking using tussocks of grass and boulders for shelter.
The female lays two eggs. The first is smaller than the second and for unknown reasons seems less favoured and is often removed from the nest. Male and females take turns in incubation for the next 4 to 5 weeks until hatching takes place.

During the next 3 to 4 weeks the male usually stays and cares for the chick while the female hunts and returns daily with regurgitated food. In the next period of its life the chick will join a creche or nursery group with other chicks. Huddling together they provide warmth and a degree of protection for each other while their parents hunt food, in the day and return at night. The chicks will have grown enough in around 10 weeks to go out and hunt on their own.

Predators

On land their eggs and chicks are vulnerable to attack from the air by skuas, white gulls, petrels and other birds. In the sea Killer whale, Leopard seals and Sea Lions are their main predators.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

 

Image File:Macaroni Penguins grooming each other (5892388741).jpg From Wikimedia Commons - Macaroni Penguins Grooming Each Other - Author: Liam Quinn from Canada - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

 

British Antartic Survey, National Environment Research Council - Macaroni Penguins

Arkive, Macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)

Facts About Magellanic Penguins

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) were named after Ferdinand Magellan who is believed to have been the first European to have seen them during his first voyage around Cape Horn on the tip of South America in 1519. They can be found inhabiting areas of rocky shorelines in subantarctic regions and cold temperate seas.

There are thought to be around 700,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins with concentrated populations along the Pacific coast of southern Chile. There are also significant breeding colonies on coasts of Patagonia, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Staten Island, Tierra del Fuego and Fernandez Islands.

 Magellanic Penguins at Otway Sound, Chile

Image  Author Liam Quinn from Canada

Description

As one of the Spheniscus genus the Magellanic is closely related to the Humboldt and African penguins. Its backs has a brown-black colouring with a white trunk and breast that is splattered with black spots

Magellanics are very similar in appearance to Humboldt penguins. They are very often found living close together and it can be difficult to tell them apart.

The Magellanic penguin has two wide black bands underneath the chin. There is also a large upside down U shaped marking that starts at its feet running up the underarms of it flippers and across its chest meeting underneath its neck.

This marking is incomplete with the Humboldt's and absent altogether with African penguins. Standing about 27 inches tall and weighing 9 pounds, the Magellanic penguin is larger than the Humboldt and African penguin, though not as large Emperor or King penguins.

Magellanics have a very high density of feathers with over 70 per square inch all of which are coated with a waterproofing oil. As with most other species of penguin their black and white colouring and ungainly gait give them a comical appearance to humans.

Nevertheless their black and white colouring provides excellent camouflage. Their black backs are hidden in the dark waves of the cold seas and their white breast and belly will be difficult for a predator underneath them in the sea to spot against the brightness of the sky and sun above the water.

Diet

Magellanics are strong swimmers and can reach over 15 miles per hour using their wings to power through the water. They hunt for fish, krill and squid and will often hunt in groups cooperating together to catch prey on short shallow dives.

Breeding

When the breeding season arrives and the weather becomes warmer they moult feathers from the around the area of their eyes. These will return when the weather cools again.

They breed from around later September to early February coming ashore to build nests in colonies with others. The breeding pairs like to use deep burrows under rocks and bushes to build their nests.

The female lays two eggs and both male and female will take turns to incubate. When the eggs hatch male and female again take turns in caring for the chicks in shifts that often last 10 to 15 days while the other hunts in the sea.

In about 5 to six weeks the eggs will hatch. Unlike other penguin species who give the strongest chick preferential care Magellanics give equal care to both chicks and both will often grow to be adults.

The chicks will stay in the burrow for about a month until they have gained their adult feathers. When they reach between 60 and 70 days of age they will be ready to leave the burrow and hunt in the sea.

Predators and Threats

Southern sea lions prey upon Magellanics and unguarded chicks and eggs that are vulnerable to Giant petrels and Kelp gulls. They are also vulnerable to human activity facing threats from overfishing, net entanglement, oil spills and pollution.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image - File:Magellanic Penguins at Otway Sound, Chile (5520686987).jpg from Wikimedia Commons - Magellanic Penguins at Otway Sound, Chile - Image  AuthorLiam Quinn from Canada

Magellanic Penguin from Wikipedia

Arkive - Magellanic Penguins - (Spheniscus magellanicus)

PenguinWorld - Magellanic Penguins 

Facts About Rockhopper Penguins

Rckhopper penguins are charismatic, flightless, marine birds. They are the smallest species of crested penguin (genus Eudyptes) and closely related to the Macaroni penguin. Many experts consider there to be 3 subspecies of Rockhoppers worldwide.

The Southern (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome), Eastern (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi), and Northern Rockhoppers (Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi), though there is not yet a consensus of opinion on this.

Rockhopper Penguin - Image Author: Author su neko

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Range

Rockhoppers are located in sub-Antarctic regions such as the Falkland Islands, Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, the Antipodes and Tristan da Cunha. Their population is estimated at 4 million pairs and but has been in decline for many years.

The Falkland Islands also have populations of King, Macaroni, Magellanic and Gentoo penguins as well as Rockhoppers. Reports from there say that penguin populations have been significantly reduced due to an algae bloom, possible caused by global warming, killing many penguins in 2002 and 2003. Some species have revived but the Rockhopper is still struggling and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has classed it as 'vulnerable.'

They live in colonies in rocky coastal regions and get their name from the way they get around by bounding with both feet together from rock to rock and up steep slippery slopes

Description

As crested penguins Rockhoppers have thin yellow tufts of feathers over the eyes which look like long eyebrows and spiky black feathers crowning the tops of their heads. They have a reddish-orange beak and small red eyes.

Their breast and underbelly is mostly white and their backs, heads and faces are dark bluish black. Though very similar in appearance males are larger than the females. They grow up to 23 inches tall and can weigh up to 8 pounds. Although smaller than many penguin species they are not as small as Little Blue penguins.

Rockhoppers are excellent swimmers using their webbed feet and powerful flippers for propulsion through the water. They use pursuit diving techniques to catch krill, lantern fish and squid.

Nesting and Breeding

During the breeding season in the summer a breeding pair will build their nests in stony crevices and burrows hidden among rocks and boulders, or on stony slopes of open shores. Females usually lay two eggs with the first egg usually being the smaller. This first egg is often lost and very often does not always manage to hatch.

Both males and female take turns at caring for the chick. Male Rockhoppers, as in other penguin species, have specialized digestive systems which have the ability to produce a 'milk' which is fed to their chicks by regurgitation when the female is absent.

Their colonies are smaller than other species of penguin and though they are small they are raucous and aggressive. They compete fiercely for mating partners, territory and nesting materials.

Ecstatic Vocalization

Rockhoppers use an extremely loud cry known as 'ecstatic vocalization' to warn of their whereabouts, claim and warn others off their territory and also to attract the attentions of a mate. They will also shake their heads in such a way to attract a mate that their long tufted eyebrows of yellow look like a halo around their heads. As well as loud vocalizations they communicate by bowing, gesturing, flipper waving, head shaking and preening.

Predators and Threats

In the wild, Rockhoppers have a lifespan of around ten years depending on their luck in avoiding predators. Their main predators in the sea are leopard seals, blue sharks, and fur seals. They face threats on land from skuas, Kelp gulls, petrels and other birds which steal their eggs and kill their chicks. They also face threats from global warming, pollution and overfishing.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image - File:Rockhopper Penguin head.jpg - Rockhopper Penguin - Image Author: Author su neko

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

International Penguin Conservation Work Group - Rockhopper Penguin

Southern Rockhopper Penguin from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Animal Corner - Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)

Facts About Yellow-eyed Penguins

Yellow-eyed Penguins - Image Author Steve from Bangkok, Thailand

  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) are considered to be the rarest penguins in the world. They inhabit the forest coasts of New Zealand and nearby southern islands. They have the longest ancestry of any living species of penguin and are the only living members of the Megadyptes genus. Their Maori name is Hoiho which means noise shouter.

They are solitary birds unique in both appearance and behavior. Unfortunately over the last 50 years there has bee a drop in numbers due to human encroachment and loss of habitat. They have also been the victims of other species that were introduced to their habitat. Today, there is believed to a population of about 2,000 pairs left.

Description

They get their name because their eyes have a pale yellow iris and a stripe of bright yellow that runs from their eyes and round the back of the head which is crowned with striking golden feathers. Their backs are dark blue-grey and they have a white front and a dark reddish colored beak.

Yellow-eyed penguins are about 30 inches tall and weigh about 14 pounds. They are medium-sized penguins, not as large as Emperor or King penguins but much bigger than the Little Blue and slightly large than Magellanic and Macaroni penguins. Adolescent birds do not have either the yellow plumage on their heads or the yellow stripe from their eyes.

Hunting and Diet

They spend most of their time in the warm sea off New Zealand hunting and feeding. Yellow-eyed penguins are perfectly at home in the water and are excellent underwater swimmers. They can hold their breath for up to 4 minutes while diving to depths of up to 400 feet. They will swim up to 20 miles out to sea visiting hunting grounds on the edge of the continental shelf. There they will hunt for fish such as silverside, sprat, cod, aruhu and squid.

Nests

Yellow-eyed penguins inhabit forest areas along the coasts where they like to build their nests in a secluded position on the ground against a tree, log, or bank. They are solitary and like to keep themselves separate from other penguins. Consequently, they nest in more spread out colonies and are less social than other species of penguin. However because of deforestation by humans they are often forced to make do by using tall grass for cover leaving them and their chicks and eggs vulnerable to predators.

Breeding

They breed from the middle of August to the middle of March. The females will lay two eggs around September to the middle of October. Both parents keep watch over the eggs during the incubation period of about 45 days. Both eggs usually hatch around the beginning of November. One parent will remain with the chicks protecting them while the other goes hunting in the sea for food for the chicks.
Chicks are covered in a layer of thick, dark brown down and males and females look very similar. The males have slightly bigger heads and feet than females.

Unlike other penguin species the chicks do not join nursery groups. Instead the parents will remain with them guarding and feeding them until they are old enough to take to the sea and hunt for themselves. This is usually between the middle of February to the middle of March.

Predators and Threats

Yellow-eyed penguins  can live for up to 20 years but are having to face an increasing number of threats to their safety. Even though they are strong, fast swimmers they still fall victims to sharks and seals in the water. Their biggest danger is on land where coastal deforestation by humans leaves them and their chicks and eggs vulnerable to introduced predators such as dogs, cats, ferrets, rats and birds.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image - File:Megadyptes antipodes -Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand -family-8.jpg - Image AuthorSteve from Bangkok, Thailand  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Yellow-eyed Penguin From Wikipedia

The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust

Department of Conservation, Te Papa Atawhai

Facts About Snares Penguins

 Snares Penguins - Author lin padgham 

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

The Snares penguin (Eudyptes robustus), sometimes called the Snares Island, and Snares-crested penguin is a non-migratory, aquatic, flightless bird. It only lives on the secluded Snare Islands off the southern coast of New Zealand. There they inhabit the Olearia forest areas that run down to the sea and sheltered beaches. They fish and hunt in the surrounding sea.

They are one of the crested penguins group (Genus Eudyptes), along with Macaroni, Rockhopper, Fiordland, Erect-crested and Royal penguins all of which are considered vulnerable species. There are only estimated to be about 25,000 pairs and because of their low numbers and limited living and breeding areas they are very vulnerable to natural events and human activity.

The New Zealand government has made Snares Island a marine sanctuary and has made efforts to protect the surrounding seas. Human activity is restricted on Snares Island.

Description

Snares penguins grow to about 20 inches tall and weigh around 7 pounds. They are not as sizable as Emperor or King penguins but bigger than Little Blue penguins.

From their bill runs a yellow stripe that that runs across the top of each eye like an eyebrow culminating in a spiky yellow crest that flares out both sides of their head. Their bills are a reddish color and their heads, faces and backs are blue-black. They have white fronts and pinkish colored feet.

They look very similar to other crested species of penguins especially in the water. The Fiordland has white feathers on its cheek which are absent from the Snares penguin and the crest on the Snares is not as erect as those of the Erect-crested penguins. It is also difficult to tell the male from the female physically and they are considered as monomorphic with behaviour patterns providing the best clues to gender.

Hunting and Diet

Like all penguin species, Snares penguins are excellent swimmers. They use their webbed feet and powerful flippers to propel them through the seas at up to 15 mile per hour. Their diet consists of fish, squid and krill which they catch using shallow pursuit diving techniques.

Breeding

The early summer is the start of the breeding season and they can be aggressive towards one another, fighting and competing for territory and nesting materials. Breeding pairs scratch out hollows on the floor Olearia forests or amid shady vegetation and also in niches on rocky coastlines.
The pair will line the hollow with wood, pebbles, and peat nesting in crowded colonies. Clearings are often created in the forests because of the amount of guano the penguins leave. The penguins will then form colonies in other areas giving the forest a chance to rejuvenate.

The female lays two eggs which are incubated for between 31 and 73 days. Both male and female share the duty in shifts. One egg alone usually hatches and although both eggs may sometimes hatch only one chick usually survives.

The male will stay and take care of the chick for about three weeks while the female hunts. The chicks will join nursery groups for protection while both parents hunt feeding them regularly until they moult when they are about 75 days old. Then they will be ready to hunt in the sea for themselves.

Predators and Threats

Their main threat on land comes from sea birds such as skuas and petrels that kill their chicks and steal their eggs. In the sea are preyed on by Leopard seals and Hooker's sea lions.
Snares Island is kept completely free of introduced land animals as they could devastate the local penguin population. It is a World Heritage Site and can only be visited with a permit. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classed Snares penguins as 'Vulnerable D2 ver 3.1' on its Red List of Threatened Species.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image - File:Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus) -group.jpg - Snares Penguins - Author lin padgham 

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Eudyptes robustus

MarineBio Conservation Society - Snares Penguins, Eudyptes robustus

Snares Penguin From Wikipedia

PenguinWorld - Snares Penguins

International Penguin Conservation Work Group

Facts about Fiordland Penguins

 Fiordland Penguin by Thomas Mattern

The Fiordland penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), sometimes known as the 'Thick-billed penguin' or the 'Fiordland Crested penguin' is a shy and reclusive bird and of all of the penguin species perhaps the most timid. It is only found around the southern and southwestern coasts of New Zealand, and on Solander Island and Stewart Island. The total population is estimated to be about 2,500 pairs.

They are known to migrate into the Tasman Sea and spend most of the time in the water until the breeding season starts. During the breeding season they have a liking for rugged fjords and bays lined with rainforests where they have plenty of cover to hide in during the day. On land they prefer to be active in the dark hours and are rarely seen in the daytime.

Description

Fiordland penguins are one of the group of crested penguins (Eudyptes) which includes Rockhoppers, Royal, Macaroni, Chatham Islands, Snares, and Erect-crested penguins. Their crests begin as a strip of yellow feathers that begins from the root of their beaks running over their eyes to the back of the head where it becomes like bushy, spiky eyebrows.

They have a reddish beak and their faces are blue-black and often have 3 to 6 white strips. Their heads and backs are also blue-black. Their fronts are white and they have white webbed feet with black claws.

Fiordland penguins look very similar to Snares penguins. Snares penguins have pink patches of skin behind the beak which is absent from the Fiordland.
Being around 17 inches tall and weighing about 8 pounds it is bigger than the Little Blue penguin though smaller than the Emperor and King penguins.

Hunting and Diet

There is little that is known about its diet though it is thought to be similar to other species of penguin consisting of fish, krill and squid though it is thought to vary with geographical location and possibly time of year.

Breeding and Nesting

Fiordland breeding colonies are not as congested as other species of penguin. Instead they are loose and spread out with nests built under bushes, tree roots or rocky crevices and hollows out of sight of other nesting pairs though still part of the community.

Males usually reappear in June at the previous seasons breeding site before the females in June, which is their mid-winter. Females arrive soon after and lay two eggs in July. Male and female will take turns to incubate the egg while the other hunts at sea. The incubation shifts can last for between 5 to 12 days. The eggs usually hatch in 30 to 36 days.

As with other penguin species the first egg usually does not hatch for unknown reasons though the second usually does. Occasionally the first egg will hatch but the chick is usually smaller than the other chick and cannot compete for food and dies.

The chick is guarded by the male while the female hunts and feeds it for the first two to three weeks. Thereafter both parents take turns to hunt and feed the chick. The chick may be left alone and form nursery groups with others for warmth and protection, though they tend to return to the nest to be fed.
In November when they are around 10 weeks old the chicks fledge. Their downs of grey are replaced with adult feathers. They are now old enough to hunt in the sea and support themselves. When they turn five years old they will then return to their home colonies to breed.

Predators and Threats

Chicks fall victim to introduced species of animals such as cats, ferrets, dogs and stoats on land. In the water fur seals are their main predator.
Fiordlands are sensitive to human activity and easily disturbed. Their populations seem to be in decline but there is little reliable information available due to the remoteness and difficulty of access to their breeding sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classed them as 'Vulnerabe' and place them on the IUCN .

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image - File:Fiordland penguin (Mattern).jpg From Wikimedia Commons - Author: Thomas Mattern - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licence. Subject to disclaimers.

BirdLife International (2014) Species factsheet: Eudyptes pachyrhynchus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 07/03/2014. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2014) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 07/03/2014. 

MarineBio Conservation Society - Fiordland Penguins, Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 March 201

Facts About Erect-crested Penguins

 Erect-crested penguins (Eudyptes sclateri)  are sometimes mistaken for Snares and Fiordland penguins. Like them they are members of the crested penguin species in the genus Eudyptes, along with Rockhopper, Royal and Macaroni penguins.

Erect creested Penguin -  Photo: Dave Houston

Their main distinctive characteristic are yellow spiky crests which flare upwards from the root of their beak to the top of their heads on both sides. Unlike other crested species this penguin can lower, or raise the crests erect, hence its name. Their eyes are brown and their beaks are a reddish brown.
They are not as large as Emperor or King penguins but bigger than Little Blue penguins. Erect-crested penguins can grow to between 20 and 28 inches tall and sometimes weigh up to 11.5 pounds.

Hunting and Diet

 

Little is known about their diet, though like most other penguins it probably consists of fish and krill. They are thought to hunt near the water surface and believed to travel long distances hunting for food spending the winter months at sea.

Breeding and Nesting

In September the males return to the site of the previous breeding colony and the females arrive two weeks after. They are very social birds forming large breeding colonies often mingling with Rockhopper breeding colonies. These colonies can be raucous and chaotic and fighting often ensues as breeding pairs compete for the best nesting sites and materials. Nests are built from mud and stones and often lined with grass. They will often build their nests on steep rocks and ledges for safety.

The female lays two eggs. The first egg, which is usually small, very often does not hatch. The second egg is often twice the size of the first and is usually given more attention than the first and will usually hatch. In February the chicks will fledge, loosing their down and grow adult feathers. In most penguins species the chicks are then ready to hunt in the sea and live independently. There is very little information available as to what happens next to the newly fledged Erect-crested penguins but the parent birds will return to the sea for the winter after moulting.

Predators and Threats

On land birds such as skuas will take chicks and steal eggs while in the sea they fall prey to Fur seals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the Erect-crested penguin as  Endangered A2b;B2ab(i,ii,iv,v) ver 3.1 on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Image by Dave Houston, New Zealand Penguins, Erect crested Pengiuns

Erect-crested Penguin From Wikipedia

PenguinWorld 

MarineBio Conservation Society 

 

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Facts About Galapagos Penguins

Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) are only found in the Galapagos Islands and are the only species of penguin in the Northern Hemisphere in the wild with small colonies just north of the equator on Isabela Island. It is believed that the Humboldt Current that brings cold Antarctic water carried them north to the Galapagos Islands.

Galapagos Penguins by Surtrek Tour Operator - Public Domain Image

Description

Galapagos penguins are distinguished from most other species by a thin white stripe that runs from the eye to the chin and a black pattern around their white fronts in an upside down ‘U” shape. It is a similar pattern that the Magellanic penguins also carry but the Galapagos is a smaller bird with a thinner black band around their front.

Adults have a blue-black, head and flippers though as they get older their plumage tends to becomes unkempt and turns towards a dull brown colour. Its beak is longer and thinner than other temperate region species of penguin.

Standing about 19 inches tall and weighing around 6 pounds they are the smallest of the warm climate penguins and along with Magellanic, Humboldt and African, are one of the Banded group (Spheniscus) of penguins. They are not as small as Little Blue penguins or as large as the Yellow-eyed penguin or Brush-tailed penguins such as the Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie penguins.

When they are on land they have to guard against the heat from the strong equatorial sun and have evolved behaviours to help them keep cool. They pant to lose heat by evaporation from the throat and airways and they have also areas of skin underneath their flippers and on their feet to help blood flow to these parts.

Another way they use to cool down is to stand with outstretched flippers, hunching forward to throw a shadow on their feet which can get sunburned. Off course they can also cool down in the ocean which is fed cold water by the Humboldt Current and they spend a lot of time swimming and hunting.

Hunting and Diet

These penguins do not migrate but stay in the temperate Galapagos waters all year round. They hunt mostly sardines, mullet, squid and crustaceans which are often caught using shallow pursuit diving techniques.

Although the weather on land can be hot the seas can be cold and they depend on the cold ocean currents which bring in nutrients and fish for the penguin’s diet. The Galapagos penguin population is known to decline significantly when the El Nino current prevails.

Breeding and Nesting

Galapagos penguins mate for life and build nests in sheltered places such as burrows or crevices in, or under, rocks and boulders. Some pairs have been known to mate twice in a year but this seems to depend on the abundance of food.

The female produces two eggs which both parents take turns at incubating for between five and six weeks. If both chicks hatch the strongest is given preference for food and will probably be the only one to survive.

For around the first thirty days both parents share the duty of guarding and feeding the chick while the other hunts for food. After about two months the chicks will have fledged and developed their adult plumage and will be ready to hunt and look after themselves.

Threats and Predators

In the sea Galapagos penguins are preyed upon by sharks and seals. On land the Galapagos hawk and introduced rats will prey on the chicks or steal eggs.
There biggest threat seems to come from changes in ocean currents. In the early 1980s abnormal El Nino patterns resulted in 70 per cent of penguins being lost because of food shortages.
Though the numbers have risen since many scientists are still concerned and the International Union for Conservation of Nature place Galapagos penguins as Endangered A2bde;B1ab(v)c(iv)+2ab(v)c(iv);C2a(ii)b ver 3.1.   They currently have and estimated population in the Galapagos Islands of 1000 pairs.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

File:Galapagos penguin.jpg from Wikimedia Commons - Image Author: Surtrek Tour Operator - Public Domain Image

MarineBio Conservation Society

International Penguin Conservation Work Group - Galapagos Penguin

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Facts about the African Penguin

 African penguins, Boulders Beach, South Africa- by
Author Paul Mannix
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) are sometimes called Blackfoot penguins or because of the braying noise they make during the courtship of a mate they are sometimes called Jackass Penguins. They are not as well studied as other penguin species and information on their habits and breeding can be in complete.

They live and breed on islands off the southwest African coast bathed in the cold, nutrient rich, stream of the Benguela current. African penguins are the only species of penguin that breeds and lives in Africa in the wild and found nowhere else. They are one of the group of Banded penguins (Spheniscus) along with Galapagos, Humboldt, and Magellanic penguins with an estimated population of 180,000.

Description

Africans have white fronts and black backs. They have a black chin with a patch on their face that separates it from the crown of their head by a white band. A narrow black stripe runs across their white breast and down their flanks and down to its legs.

Some Africans, but not all, have a double bar on the chest and throat similar to a Magellanic penguin. Male Africans have heavier beaks and tend to be greater in size than females. They are very similar and the differences tend only to be noticed when they are standing near each other.

Adolescents, unlike adults, are bluish grey and the white face markings and black stripe around the front is absent. Juveniles differ from adults by being entirely blue-grey above, and lacking the white face markings and black breast band of the adults. Their bodies are streamlined and their short wings act as flippers propelling them through the water at up to 20 mile per hour. Africans stand at about 18 inches tall and weighing about 7.5 pounds they are not as big as Emperor, King or Yellow-eyed penguins but greater than Little Blues.

Hunting and Diet

African penguins have been seen at sea as far as 60 miles from land. Usually they hunt near rocky coasts for fish such as pilchards or anchovies or for crustaceans such as krill and will eat up to one pound of food daily.

As with other species of penguins Africans often take to the water in a group and have a tendency to hesitate before jumping into the sea. Usually one will take the plunge first and the others will follow en masse possibly to distract, or confuse any waiting predators.

Breeding

In September and February they form breeding colonies, or ‘rookeries’ where they will build nests. These are often shallow burrows in sand, bare ground or under rocks, sparse vegetation, or even guano. There needs to be sufficient cover to protect eggs and adults from the heat of the African climate. The female lays two green eggs which need incubating for about five weeks and both parents share this duty. They will also share the care of the chicks when they hatch in about 5 five weeks time.

Predators and Threats

On land the chicks and eggs may fall victim to Kelp gulls, skuas and Ibis. In the sea they are preyed upon by sharks and Fur seals. Scientists are concerned that their population is fast declining. In the past they have suffered from oils spills, loss of habitat and human activity such as overfishing. They increasingly have to compete with seals for dwindling stocks of food and diminishing breeding grounds. African penguins are listed as ‘Vulnerable‘ (A2ace+3ce+4ace ver. 3.1 (2008)) on the IUCN Red List.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

This article was orginally published on Helium.com on October 10, 2009 and  updated October 10, 2009 by zteve t evans.  In November 2013 Helium.com became Critters 360 and a version remains on there.

Image - File:A pair of African penguins, Boulders Beach, South Africa.jpg - From Wikimedia Commons - African penguins, Boulders Beach, South Africa- by AuthorPaul Mannix Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

The International Penguin Conservation Working Group

MarineBio Conservation Society

African Penguin from Wikipedia

Facts about the Humboldt Penguin

 Humboldt Penguins, Islas Ballestas, Paracas, Peru

Image Author Lisa Weichel  

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) are sometimes known as Peruvian penguins. They are located only along the Pacific coastline of South America. They are warm weather penguins preferring islands or rocky shores to form breeding colonies on. They range from Isla Foca off the coast of Peru to Algarrobo in Chile and have remote colonies to the south on the Punihuil Islands.

Humboldt penguins are members of the Banded penguin group (Spheniscus genus) along with African, Magellanic, and Galapagos penguins. They are named after the Humboldt Current that brings nutrient rich cold water to the ocean along the Pacific coast of South America past Chile and Peru before turning westwards. Humboldts do not migrate preferring to stay in these regions all year round.

Description 

Humboldts look very similar to Magellanic penguins and it is often the case that their colonies overlap and both birds can be wrongly identified very easily. There are differences that a practiced eye may spot. Humboldts have one neck band while Magellanics have two. Also adult Humboldts have a very dark brown-black head, face and back and white fronts. Their face has a white stripe running around the face, round behind the top of the eyes, down past the ear coverts and chin, joining on the throat. They are monomorphic with the male and female very similar in appearance and being difficult to tell apart. Often it is behavioural traits that reveal the gender of the two.

The Humboldt has stiff overlapping feathers that provide waterproofing and insulation to their bodies. Their eyesight is excellent on land and underwater. They are medium-sized penguins being larger than Little Blue penguins but smaller than King and Emperor penguins. They can be up to 28 inches high and weigh up to 11 pounds.

Hunting and Diet

 

Humboldt penguins are excellent swimmers and can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. They use their wingers like flippers and steer with their tails and feet. They use their speed and manouverability make them formidable hunters.

Their diet consists of fish such as anchovies, herrings and crustaceans. Humboldts have a gland which gives them the ability to drink both fresh water and seawater.

Social Birds

 

Humboldt penguins are social birds forming large breeding colonies. They site their nesting burrows  very close together which aids communication. They build their nests in burrows, caves, or niches in rocks and boulders and sometimes on rocky shores.

Parents are able to recognise each other and their chicks using a combination of voice and sight. Each penguin has a unique voice which helps breeding pairs recognise each other and also their chicks.
These close-knit colonies help to provide a collective defence against skuas and gulls and other threats. As well as providing a secure nesting place the burrows also give the penguins shelter from the weather. 

Breeding

 

Humboldts begin to breed between the ages of two and seven years old. Depending on the availability of food Humboldts can breed at any time of the year. Females lay up to three eggs and both parents will take turns to incubate for about forty days. The chicks have greyish brown down when they are hatched.

Both parents take turns in caring for the chick and hunting for food. Eventually after about two months the parents will leave the chicks alone during the day while they go hunting. In times when food becomes scarce parents will feed the larger, stronger chick at the expense of the smaller ones.
After about seventy to ninety days the chicks will fledge, losing their down which will be replaced by grey feathers. These will gradually change to their adult plumage over time.

Predators and Threats

Humboldts are known to live up to around twenty years in the wild and up to 30 years in a zoo. Their total population is estimated to be about 6,000 pairs.

On land they are preyed on by foxes, wild dogs, and falcons such as caracaras. Gulls and skuas will kill chicks and steal eggs. In the sea they are preyed upon by toothed whales, fur seals and sharks.
Like other penguins they are vulnerable to changes in their ocean environment that may occur naturally such as the El Nino current which can have a devastating effect on their food chain.

Between 1982 -83, El Nino caused 65% decline in the Humboldt population. Although the population began to rise again it was badly depleted again in 1997-98 by another El Nino event.
They are also victims of human activity and their nests and eggs can be broken by humans gathering guano (droppings), which is used for fertiliser. This also causes damage to their breeding grounds.

Overfishing of their prey species is also a problem and they can also get caught up in fishing nets.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as Vulnerable A2bcde+3bcde+4bcde;C1+2b  on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

References, Attributions and Further Reading

 

This is a version of an original article that was first published on Helium.com  on October 1st, 2009 and updated October 1st 2009 by zteve t evans. When  Helium.com became Critters 360 in November 2013 it was moved to there where a version remains at present.

 

Image - File:Spheniscus humboldti, Islas Ballestas 6.jpg From Wikimedia Commons -

Humboldt Penguins, Islas Ballestas, Paracas, PeruImage AuthorLisa Weichel - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

The International Union for Conservation of Nature

Humboldt Penguin, From Wikipedia  

MarineBio Conservation Society - Humboldt Penguins, Spheniscus humboldti