African Penguin Facts, Profile, Traits, Behavior, Habitat, Diet

The African penguin, the scientific name Spheniscus demersus, also referred to as the Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a popular species of penguin that are confined to southern African waters with many interesting facts.

They are also known as “jackass penguins” because of their loud, donkey-like braying sound. Each of their eyes has a little pink gland that helps them withstand extreme temperatures. The air in the surrounding area cools the blood as it travels to the glands, which keeps the animal cooler. The glands get pinker as the temperature rises.

African penguins are sedentary and spend a lot of time in their colonies. Young people who are not in reproductive life are typically the most violent. Like all penguins, communication is necessary to identify families and romantic relationships.

African Penguin fun facts

Like all extant penguins, it’s flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Adults weigh a median of 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall.

The species has distinctive pink patches of pores and skin above the eyes and black facial masks. The body’s upper parts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts, which are noticed and marked with a black band.

The pink glands above their eyes assist them with thermoregulation. To deal with altering temperatures, blood is shipped to the glands to be cooled by the air.

African penguin classification

Scientific Name: Spheniscus demersus
Conservation Status: Endangered
Lifespan: 10 – 15+ years in the wild; as much as 25 years in human care
Adult Size: Around 2 ft tall and around 7 lb
Diet within the wild: Fish, squid, and crustaceans
Habitat: Rocky, temperate, coastal seashores
Range: Found alongside the coastlines of South Africa

Appearance

The African Penguin is a reasonably distinctive species of penguin with clear black and white markings and a sharply pointed black beak.

The African Penguin additionally has black feet and quite a few dot-like markings flecked throughout its white chest that is mentioned to be as distinctive to the person Penguin as a Human fingerprint is, together with a slim black band.

The male African Penguin is usually barely bigger than their feminine counterparts however each is pretty related in look. One of the African Penguin’s most distinctive options is that they’ve pink glands above their eyes which assist them to deal with temperate climates.

The hotter the African Penguin will get, the more blood is shipped to those glands so it could be cooled by the encircling air, which in flip, makes these glands pinker.

African Penguin Distribution and Habitat facts

The African Penguin is discovered on the southwestern coast of Africa, dwelling in 27 colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, close to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with the biggest colony discovered on Dyer Island, close to Kleinbaai.

African Penguins are most densely distributed across the chilly, nutrient-wealthy waters of the Benguela Currently the place there’s a plentiful provide of meals. Although they spend a lot of their time at sea, African Penguins collect in nesting sites on rocky islands the place they spend their days in sheltered burrows to keep away from the recent solar.

They are one of many solely Penguin species to be present in non-freezing circumstances and deal with this by burrowing, rising at nightfall and daybreak, and utilizing the pink glands above their eyes to chill the blood down.

African penguin Behavior and Lifestyle facts

The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds totally on fish and squid. Once extraordinarily quite a few, the African penguin is declining quickly on account of a mix of a number of threats and is classed as endangered.

It is a charismatic species and is widespread with vacationers. Other vernacular names of the species embody black-footed penguin and jackass penguin, as a result of the species’ loud, donkey-like bray, though a number of associated species of South American penguins produce the similar sound.

They may be present in South Africa, Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Mozambique.

Like many different Penguin species, African Penguins are extremely sociable birds, with adults forming pair bonds that final for all times (as long as 10 years).

African Penguins can typically be seen grooming each other, which isn’t solely sensible for cleansing functions, but additionally for eradicating parasites and even simply rearranging feathers, always strengthening the social bond between the pair.

Their courtship shows are sometimes very noisy because the female and male Penguin call to one another utilizing a collection of donkey-like sounds.

African Penguins are additionally recognized to undergo a spot of bathing just a few meters from the shore, which they’re thought to do fairly usually to each clear and to chill themselves down within the warmth.

African Penguin Description facts

African penguins develop to 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall and weigh between 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb). They have a black stripe and black spots on the chest, the pattern of which is exclusive to every penguin, like human fingerprints.

The sweat glands above the eyes cool the birds’ blood, and because the temperature rises, elevated blood movement causes the glands to get pinker. This species reveals slight sexual dimorphism; the males are barely bigger than the females and have longer beaks.

Juveniles don’t possess the daring, delineated markings of the grownup, however as an alternative have darkish upper parts that modify from greyish-blue to brown; the pale underparts lack each spot and the band.

The beak is more pointed than that of the Humboldt. The African penguin’s coloring is a type of protecting coloration often known as countershading. The white undersides of the birds are tough to identify by predators underneath the water, and the penguins’ black backs mix in with the water when seen from above.

African penguins resemble and are regarded as associated with the Humboldt, Magellanic, and Galápagos penguins. African penguins have a really recognizable look, with a thick band of black that is in the form of an upside-down horseshoe.

They have black feet and black spots that modify in size and form between people. Magellanic penguins share an identical bar marking that always confuses the 2; Magellanics have a double bar on the throat and chest, whereas the Africans have a single bar. These penguins have the nickname “jackass penguin”, which comes from the loud noises they make.

African Penguin Life Cycles facts

African Penguins start to breed at the common age of 4 when a female and male will pair up and have a tendency to breed collectively for the remainder of their lives.

The feminine African Penguin both digs herself a burrow or finds a dip beneath a rock or bush, by which she lays two eggs. The eggs are incubated by each parent for as much as 40 days when solely one of many eggs will often hatch.

The African Penguin chicks are fed and stored heat by their parents always till they’re a month old after they start to be left on their very own, forming crèches with different chicks for cover from predators.

They have a tendency to stay with their parents till they’re between 3 and 5 months old, when they may depart the colony (that is dependent on the availability and high quality of meals within the space).

The chicks return to the colony after a few years to molt into their grownup plumage. African Penguins usually dwell for between 10 and 15 years.

African penguin Threats

Global-warming-induced shifts within the marine and atmospheric atmosphere are damaging to the African penguin’s habitat and are a significant risk to the bird. Other extreme threats embody guano and egg assortment at breeding colonies, oil air pollution, and business fishing.

African Penguin Diet, foraging, and Prey facts

African penguins forage within the open sea, the place they pursue pelagic fish equivalent to sardines and anchovies (particularly the Southern African anchovy), and marine invertebrates equivalent to squid and small crustaceans.

Penguins usually swim within 20 km (12 mi) of the shore. A penguin could eat as much as 540 grams (1.19 lb) of prey every single day, however, this will improve to over 1 kg (2.2 lb) when elevating older chicks.

Due to the collapse of a business pilchard (sardine) fishery in 1960, the African penguin’s diet has shifted in direction of anchovies to some extent, though out there pilchard biomass continues to be a notable determinant of penguin inhabitants’ growth and breeding success. While a diet of anchovy seems to be usually ample, it’s not ultimate on account of anchovies’ lower concentrations of fats and protein.

Penguin diet adjustments all through the year; as in lots of seabirds, it’s believed that the interplay of diet selection and breeding success helps the penguins keep their inhabitants size.

Although parent penguins are protecting their hatchlings, they won’t incur dietary deficits themselves if the prey is scarce and searching requires a better time or energy dedication. This could result in higher charges of brood loss under poor meal circumstances.

When foraging, African penguins perform dives that attain a median depth of 25 m (82 ft) and final for 69 s, though the most depth of 130 m (430 ft) and period of 275 s has been recorded.

The African Penguin is a carnivorous animal that, like all different Penguin species, survives on a diet that’s solely comprised of marine organisms.

Shoaling fish together with Anchovies, Sardines, Horse Mackerel, and Round Herrings make up the majority of the African Penguin’s diet, together with the occasional Squid or Crustacean when regular meals are briefly provided.

The streamlined body of the African Penguin permits it to maneuver by the water like a rocket, able to reach a top pace of around 20 kph when attempting to find meals.

African Penguins catch their prey by diving into the ocean depths for around 2 minutes at a time. Although they usually go to depths of around 30 meters, it’s not unusual for them to be discovered searching more than 100 meters beneath the water’s floor.

Predators

Primary predators of African penguins embody sharks and fur seals. While nesting, kelp gulls, mongooses, caracals, Cape genets, and home cats and dogs could prey on the penguins and their chicks.

Mortality from terrestrial predators is higher if penguins are compelled to breed within the open in the absence of appropriate burrows or nest-packing containers.

African Penguin Reproduction facts

The African penguin is monogamous. It breeds in colonies, and pairs return to the same site every year. The African penguin has an extended breeding season, with nesting often peaking from March to May in South Africa and November to December in Namibia.

A clutch of two eggs is laid both in burrows dug in guano or scrapes within the sand underneath boulders or bushes. Incubation is undertaken equally by each parent for around 40 days.

At least one parent guards the chicks for about one month, whereafter the chicks be part of a crèche with different chicks, and each parent head out to sea to forage every day.

Chicks fledge at 60 to 130 days, the timing relying on environmental elements equivalent to the standard and availability of meals. The fledged chicks then go to sea on their very own, the place they spend the next one to just about two years. They then return to their natal colony to molt into grownup plumage.

When penguins molt, they’re unable to forage as their new feathers aren’t waterproof; due to this fact, they quickly over the complete molting interval. African penguins take around three weeks to molt and lose nearly half their body weight by utilizing their fat reserves within the process.

Female African penguins stay fertile for 10 years. African penguins spend most of their lives at sea till it comes time for them to put their eggs. Due to high predation on the mainland, African penguins will search for safety on offshore islands, the place they’re safer from bigger mammals, and natural challenges. These penguins often breed in the course of the winter when temperatures are decreasing.

African penguins typically will abandon their eggs in the event that they change into overheating within the scorching solar, and deserted eggs don’t survive the warmth.

Ideally, eggs are incubated in a burrow dug into the guano layer (which gives appropriate temperature regulation), however the widespread human elimination of guano deposits has rendered any such nest unfeasible at many colonies. To compensate, penguins dig holes within the sand, breed in the open, or make use of nest-packing containers if they’re supplied.

The penguins spend three weeks on land to offer for their offspring, after which chicks could also be left alone in the course of the day whereas the parents forage.

The chicks are steadily killed by predators or succumb to the recent solar. The eggs are three to 4 instances greater than hen’s eggs. Parents often feed hatchlings throughout nightfall or daybreak.

African penguin Exclusive Facts

Penguins have more feathers than some other birds, which act as a waterproof layer holding their pores and skin dry. African Penguins molt as soon as a year which they do back in their colonies.

The entire process lasts for about 20 days, by which time, the African Penguins can not swim or eat, and may lose nearly half of their body weight. African Penguins are recognized to spend long intervals of time fishing out at sea, and relying on the realm, can journey between 30 and 110 km in a single journey.

However, these African Penguins who’ve chicks to feed, will hardly ever go that far, catching meals nearer to the shore, and as rapidly as possible. The African Penguin is also referred to as the Jackass penguin, as a result of the donkey-like call that they make throughout their courtship rituals.

African penguin Fun Facts

These penguins dig nest burrows, with guano (feces of seabirds and seals) being the popular nesting substrate. The elimination of guano for business functions forces penguins to nest on the floor within the sand underneath the shelter of bushes. These sand nests improve susceptibility to warmth stress and prepare entry to predators.

African penguins are monogamous; they mate with an identical particular person for a few years.

They can swim as much as 12mph. A common dive of an African penguin lasts 2.5 minutes, and is usually about 98 ft in-depth, though depths of as much as 426 ft have been recorded.

Also referred to as jackass penguins as a result of their emitting a loud, braying, donkey-like call.

They have a small pink gland above every eye, which helps them deal with high temperatures. Blood is shipped to the glands the place it’s cooled by the encircling air and retained in the animal cooler. The glands get pinker the warmer it will get.

African penguin chick

What is the name of the young African penguins? “Dowpies” is the term used to describe them when they begin to moult and develop their natural feathers. They are referred to as “baby blues” when they shed this down, which is replaced by their first real feathers.

Around 70 to 90 days after birth, African penguin chicks normally fledge (leave the nest for the first time). During the first several weeks, penguin parents are particularly protective of their offspring. They become recognizable when they begin to moult and grow their correct feathers.

Penguin eggs have always been prized as a delicacy, and for a very long time, people also hunted penguins to gather their eggs for both public and private egg collections.

African penguin life cycle

An African penguin goes through five different life stages: egg, hatchling, chick, juvenile, and adult. For up to three months after hatching, the young are nourished by their parents. They then shed their down feathers, becoming capable of swimming and foraging while their mom continues to provide nourishment.

Do African penguins have lifelong partners?

Unless breeding has failed for whatever reason, African penguins are monogamous (breed with just one mate for the rest of their lives). In that case, they will take on another partner. Each breeding couple will return to the same breeding colony and nesting site each year. The penguins breed in colonies, mainly on rocky coast islands.

How do penguins in Africa live?

African penguins reside near the southernmost tip of Africa, proving that not all penguins dwell in frigid climates. The majority of the day is spent feeding by African penguins in the ocean, which helps keep them cool. The exposed skin on their legs and the area around their eyes helps them remain cool because their terrestrial environment may get rather heated.

African penguins Cape Town, South Africa

The best time to visit Boulders is during the summer, when you’ll observe the greatest penguin activity. However, you can view penguins all year long. There are fewer penguins on the beach between September and October because the birds spend most of their time foraging at sea.

One of Cape Town’s most popular beaches, Boulders Beach is the only area in the world where you can get up close to African Penguins. A lengthy wooden boardwalk that runs through the beach from the parking lot allows you to see the penguins. Wheelchairs may easily navigate this boardwalk.

African penguin nesting

Large colonies of African penguins may be found on many of the nearby islands as well as the rocky coast of southern Africa, from Namibia to Port Elizabeth. Dyer Island is the location of the biggest colony. The birds construct their nests in the sand, guano deposits (deposits of their waste), behind shrubs, or on rocks.

African penguin habitat

African penguins can be found on offshore islands and in coastal locations. Their preferred habitats are steep, rocky places with limited vegetation or flat, sandy regions with profuse or sparse plant development. African penguins can hunt alone or in small packs.

How adapts the African penguin to its environment?

African penguins have a variety of heat-regulating adaptations, such as exposed skin patches around their eyes that allow blood to cool down and circulate and specific muscles that push the feathers outward to dissipate heat.

African penguin habitat temperature

The temperature of the inshore coastal waters where these birds reside is 5–20 oC. (41-68o F). To reproduce, molt, and relax, they travel to land. They live on flat, sandy islands with little to no vegetation or rocky islands with little to no vegetation.

African penguin lifespan

In an aquarium or zoo, the African penguin may live for more than 30 years, but in the wild, the average lifespan is more likely to be 15 to 20 years. The majority of penguin pairs are monogamous and will stick together across multiple breeding years, however African penguins do not have a regular breeding season.

Are Male penguins aggressive?

The aggression of penguins without eggs or chicks is lower than that of penguins with eggs or chicks. After egg-laying, aggression rises and peaks around the time of chick hatching. Males are more hostile toward models than females before they produce eggs, but thereafter, there is no difference between them (on average).

Can you keep African penguins as pets?

However, cute pets aren’t necessarily the best pets. Penguins could rank among the worst pets ever in this situation. This is caused by a number of things, such as the absurd illegality of having a penguin, exorbitant care requirements, enormous appetites, and social demands necessitating a pack of 20 or more birds.

How much food do African penguins consume every day?

They consume tiny crustaceans, squid, and small fish like anchovies and sardines. Every day, a penguin consumes around one pound of fish.

How many African penguins will there be in 2022?

The number of remaining African penguins worldwide There are still 140 000 African Penguins in existence.

Do African penguins eat squid?

Squid, shellfish, and tiny fish like anchovies and sardines are all common food items for African penguins.

African penguins smartness

They have many traits with corvids in terms of intellect, though. For instance, penguins and brown-necked ravens both engage in cooperative hunting. Around the southern tip of Africa, African penguins work together to herd fish toward the surface for easy prey.

Are African penguins cold-blooded?

African penguins reside near the southernmost tip of Africa, proving that not all penguins dwell in frigid climates. The majority of the day is spent feeding African penguins in the ocean, which helps keep them cool. The exposed skin on their legs and the area around their eyes helps them remain cool because their terrestrial environment may get rather heated.

African penguin diet

25 different fish species, including sardines and anchovies, as well as squid and krill, are used by African penguins as food. A penguin may consume as much food as one pound, or up to 14% of its body weight.

Although their food varies from place to region, tiny pelagic fish like pilchards, anchovies, horse mackerel, and herring are a staple. In regions where there is a decline in fish supply due to industrial fishing, African penguins may add the squid and tiny crustaceans to their diet.

Will there be no more African penguins?

Unfortunately, since pre-industrial times, the number of African penguins has decreased by approximately 95%, and the species is now considered endangered. According to current projections, if trends in climate change and human activity continue, the species will become extinct by 2026.

Do African penguins sleep while still upright?

They may rest on rocks either lying down or standing up and while they are standing up, they occasionally tuck their beaks behind their wings.

Does Africa have any penguins living there?

The only species of penguin found off the coast of Africa is the African penguin, which is exclusively found along the southern African coast between Hollams Bird Island and Algoa Bay off the coast of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

What is the name of the African penguin?

A species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) known as the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the black-footed penguin, Cape penguin, or jackass penguin, is distinguished by a single band of black feathers running across the breast and a circle of featherless skin completely encircling each eye.

What makes the African penguin unique?

It features a distinctive black spot pattern on its breast, a black stripe, and pink glands over its eyes that get pinker when the penguin warms up. Males have broader beaks and are bigger than females.

How many remaining African penguins exist?

At the start of the 20th century, the area was home to millions of penguins. There are just 10,000 breeding pairs remaining in South Africa, according to the statistics from 2021.

Why do penguins occasionally shake their heads?

Any additional salt they unintentionally consume or absorb from the fish they eat is collected by a gland in their beak. They sneeze and spit out the salt water as they shake their heads. They can avoid dehydration in this manner.

Can a penguin from Africa be adopted?

Packages from African Penguin come with a cuddly penguin, a certificate of adoption, a bamboo tote bag made from sustainable materials, and a picture fact card. There are additional choices for adoptions online.

Do African penguins thrive in extreme cold?

The temperature of the inshore coastal waters where these birds reside is 5–20 ºC. (41-68 ºF). To reproduce, molt, and relax, they travel to land. They live on flat, sandy islands with little to no vegetation or rocky islands with little to no vegetation.

How long is the African penguins’ breath held?

These tough little penguins can dive over 400 feet deep and can hold their breath for nearly two minutes! A penguin may consume up to 1 pound of food per day, or 14% of its body weight.

Is an African penguin a carnivore?

The African penguin is a carnivore that supplements its diet with crabs and squid in addition to pelagic food including pilchards, horse mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. They can run at their highest speed while hunting, which is over 20 km/h! Large colonies made up of breeding couples can have up to 2500 individuals.

Conservation standing

The African penguin is likely one of the species to which the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) applies. In September 2010, it was listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. As of 2018, the African penguin is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its population is roughly 50,000 birds and declining.