[tomjenner]

In a recent thread, I mentioned a penguin that had been picked up in El Salvador and identified as a Galapagos Penguin (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=88385). Oliver Komar has examined the specimen at Salvanatura and is now unsure of the original identification and feels that it might be a Magellanic Penguin. He would welcome any guidance on this and has asked people to spread the following description and photos in the hope that someone with more experience with the species, or access to skins, can help.

Tom

NOTES ON IDENTIFICATION OF EL SALVADOR PENGUIN (Spheniscus sp.)

The penguin was captured by fishermen at Playa El Zaite (Barra de Santiago), Ahuachapán Dept., El Salvador, on 7 June 2007. I believe it is a young (subadult) male, based on presence of a single testis (21 x 10 mm, beige, noted by the preparer of the skin, Carlos Zaldaña) and its general plumage. It had virtually no fat when it died, so its weight may not be representative for the species. The weight (2158 g) and size (59 cm measured by Carlos Zaldaña before preparation, from tip of bill, with bill pointing upwards, rather than perpendicular to chest, to the tip of the tail) match reported weight and size for Spheniscus mendiculus, the Galapagos Penguin, although the length is several cm longer than reported for a male.

The plumage, bill color and bill shape seem more like photos and illustrations of Magellanic, S. magellanicus, the most migratory of the Spheniscus penguins, although the length is smaller than reported, and the weight is about half of reported weight. The chin and cheek color is light dusky, not dark brown as would be expected for S. mendiculus.

I don’t have access to illustrations of subadults, so I may be misled by the field guide illustrations I have (in Seabirds, by Peter Harrison).

In summary, the measurements of the El Salvador bird are:

Weight 2158 g
Overall length, tip of bill to tip of tail, 590 mm
Culmen 54 mm
Front of nares to tip of bill 26 mm
Gape to tip of bill 69 mm
Vertical depth of bill at anterior extent of throat feathers 21 mm
Vertical depth of bill at base of culmen 27 mm

Tarsus 43 mm
Heel to tip of middle toe (includes tarsus) 125 mm

Wing chord (articulation of the hand to the tip of the flipper) 106 mm
Ulna 70 mm
Elbow (base of ulna) to tip of wing 162 mm
See drawing below for three other wing measurements.

Noteworthy aspects of the plumage: Iris dark brown. No bare flesh around eye or at base of bill, no eye-ring. The underside of the flippers is mostly white but with a broad black band at the base (documented in photos). The feet were black below, but whitish with black speckling above.

[tim.birdboy]

I would still say Gálapagos Penguin, the bill seems way too slender to be Magellanic. Compare to the photos attached.

1. Gálapagos
2. Magellanic

[Rasmus Boegh]

I've seen a fair number of juv's of both species, but never really bothered to look that closely, as they normally are highly unlikely to be confused due to range. However, if I had to place an ID on it, I'd call it a Magellanic. Regardless, I am certainly no expert in juv. penguin identification. You might want to forward this ID request to NEOORN.

[tomjenner]

Thanks Tim and Rasmus. The request has already been put on NEOORN by someone else.

Tom

[Fritz73]

I'm not an expert, but I agree with Rasmus. It looks like a young Magellanic Penguin. Searching for photos at Google I noticed that the Galapagos P. has a pink mandible also in juvenile penguins.

[tomjenner]

Oliver Komar has just sent out an e-mail on the List-serve for birders in El Salvador stating that Dr P. Dee Boersma, an expert on Magellanic Penguin, has just confirmed that it is a first year juvenile of that species. There will of course be debate about its origin, as there are records of sailors carrying penguins with them and then releasing them overboard when they get tired of them. However, Dr. Boersma does not rule out a wild origin and Oliver reports that he has already heard about a record from Peru. It will be interesting to hear if there are any other reports this year from north of their normal range. If you hear of anything, please post it here.

Tom

[Rasmus Boegh]

Tom,

The Peru Magellanic is from earlier this year and is less remakable than some media suggested. There are other reliable, but to my knowledge unpublished, records of this species from Peru. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if this species actually reached southern off-shore Peru on a near-anual basis and Alvaro Jaramillo (author of the field guide to Chile and among the very top of birders/ornithologists for that region) has said likewise on Birding Peru. El Salvador really is far off the expected range of the Magellanic, and while I still would lean towards it being ship-assisted, I might actually feel better about this highly migratory species being potentially a natural occurence than if it had been the essentially resident Galápagos.

EDIT: And here's why (the "cool water" off western South America is the Humboldt Current):

http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pi...s/el-nino1.jpg

It wouldn't require a lot to imagine a young Magellanic getting caught up in this current, only to "get off" when it turns out towards the central Pacific.