Humboldt Penguin

From Opus

Photo by jmorlan
Ballestas Islands, Pisco, Peru, December 2017

Spheniscus humboldti

[edit] Identification

Juveniles swimming
Photo by Rodrigo Reyes
Cachagua, C Chile, December 2008

65–70 cm (25½-27½ in)
Blackish-grey above and white below. Head and throat blackish with narrow white stripe from above bill-base curving over the eye and joining white of underparts on sides of neck. Single broad black horseshoe on breast continuing down flanks.
Bill blackish with grey band and bare pink skin at base, legs greyish-black.

Juveniles are much less contrasty.

[edit] Similar Species

Overlaps with Magellanic Penguin S. magellanicus in Chile and distinguished by single rather than double breast-band and narrower white stripe over eye.

[edit] Distribution

West coast of South America from about 50S in Peru to near Valparaiso in Chile.

Non-breeders may wander north to Ecuadorean waters or further south off Chile.

[edit] Status

Classified as Vulnerable in the 2008 IUCN Red List (BirdLife International, 2008).

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Breeds in burrows or caves; otherwise at sea, usually within 50km of land.

Juveniles are found further from breeding grounds than adults.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Breeds throughout the year nesting in caves, rocky crevices and burrows in sand, sometimes above ground. Two white eggs are incubated by both sexes.

[edit] Diet

Their diet consists of small fish, particularly anchovies, and squid.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Spheniscus humboldti. Downloaded on 24/6/2008.

• List of references

[edit] External Links

1. Mundo Azul Species fact sheet: Humboldt penguin [1]