Penguins (പെന്‍ഗ്വിന്‍)

Basic Facts About Penguins

 

Penguins are aquatic, flightless birds that are highly adapted to life in the water. Their distinct tuxedo-like appearance is called countershading, a form of camouflage that helps keep them safe in the water. Penguins do have wing-bones, though they are flipper-like and extremely suited to swimming. Penguins are found almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, where they catch their food underwater and raise their young on land.

 

Diet

Staples: Krill, fish and squid.

 

General Facts

 

• penguins closer to the equator eat more fish
• penguins closer to Antarctica eat more squid and krill.

 

Population

 

Larger penguin species are found in colder climates where their large body mass enables them to cope with the conditions, while smaller penguins inhabit warmer climes.

 

The penguin species with the highest population is the Macaroni penguin with 11,654,000 pairs. The species with the lowest population is the endangered Galapagos penguin with between 6,000-15,000 individuals.

 

Range

Penguins can be found on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere from the tropical Galapagos Islands (the Galapagos penguin) located near South America to Antarctica (the emperor penguin).

 

Behavior.

 

Penguins can spend up to 75% of their lives in the water. They do all of their hunting in the water. Their prey can be found within 60 feet of the surface, so penguins have no need to swim in deep water. They catch prey in their beaks and swallow them whole as they swim. Some species only leave the water for molting and breeding.

 

The emperor penguin breeds in the coldest environment of any bird species; air temperatures may reach -40° (F/C), and wind speeds may reach 89 miles per hour (144 km/hr)!

Penguins are social birds. Many species feed, swim and nest in groups. During the breeding season, some species form large groups, or “rookeries”, that include thousands of penguins. Each penguin has a distinct call, allowing individuals to find their mate and their chicks even in large groups.

 

Reproduction

 

Mating Season: Varies depending on the species, though most breed during spring and summer.

 

Incubation: Varies from 1 month-66 days depending on the species.

 

Number of offspring: King and emperor penguins lay one egg. All other species of penguin lay two eggs.

 

Threats to Penguins

 

Penguins are threatened by climate change. Penguin populations have decreased by nearly 80 percent in some areas, and the majority of scientists agree that rising temperature due to climate change is the primary culprit.

 

In Antarctica, home to the famous emperor penguin, the annual sea ice melting season has extended by as much as 3 weeks in recent decades. Less ice means less habitat for penguins and the loss of critical food, such as shrimp-like krill, which depend on polar ice to reproduce.

 

The penguin that is currently most threatened by climate change is the African penguin. Most African penguins live on islands off the coast of Africa and feed on a rich supply of anchovies and sardines that follow a nearby current of cold water. As the oceans heat up, this stream is moving further away from their island home.

 

These penguins will only swim up to 25 miles away from their homes, so if the current moves much further they will not be able to reach their food source.

 

In addition to global warming and natural predation by sharks, orcas, leopard seals, sea lions and fur seals, other threats to penguins include impacts on habitat due to oil spills, pesticides, construction, destruction of habitat due to introduced herbivores, competition with humans for food and illegal egg harvesting.

 

Types of Penguins.

 

 

Adelie Penguin

Scientific name: Pygoscelis adeliae

 

Size: 5.4 kg (m), 4.7 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open, use stones to line nest

Favourite food: krill

 

No penguin, indeed no other bird, breeds further south than Adelie Penguins. Adelie Penguins show a number of specialised adaptations to the cold often encountered by this species that restrict heat loss.

 

Identification:

A medium-sized penguin recognised by its white eye-ring. Feathers on the back of the head are slightly elongated and can be raised to form a small crest. Light-coloured individuals occur rarely in some colonies. Immature birds up to 14 months of age differ from adults in having a white rather than black chin and they lack the white ring around their eyes.

 

Habits:

Adelie Penguins breed in colonies from a few dozen to many thousands. Within the colonies, distinct sub-colonies can be recognised. The nests, depressions on the ground, are lined with small stones, which help to keep the eggs free of any melt-water from snow. Stones for building nests are often in high demand. They are highly gregarious on land and at sea. The availability of accessible ice-free nesting habitats limits the distribution of this species in the high Antarctic.

 

Distribution:

Breeds from October to February on shores around the Antarctic continent, South Shetland, South Orkney, South Sandwich, and Bouvetøya Islands. At sea Adelie Penguins are usually found from the edge of the shelf-ice to the northern extent of the pack-ice.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Adelie Penguins are migratory and after breeding do not return to their colonies until the next spring. Little is know about the non-breeding distribution of this species. There are only a few records of Adelie Penguins during the Antarctic winter. Recent work using satellite telemetry indicates that Adelie Penguins from the Ross Sea leave this area in autumn and migrate about 600 km north of the Antarctic continent. Juveniles are suspected to travel even further north than adults. Vagrant birds have been recorded as far north as South Georgia, Falkland Islands, Kerguelen, Macquarie Island, Tasmania, Heard Island, and the South Island of New Zealand.

 

Diet:

They are highly dependent on krill, usually Euphausia superba, although in some areas E. crystallorophias constitutes the dominant krill species. Fish and amphipods can be common in certain locations at certain seasons.

 

African Penguin

Scientific name: Spheniscus demersus

 

Size: 3.3 kg (m), 3.0 kg (f)

Nest type: burrow or under bushes/rocks

Favourite food: small fish

 

This is the only penguin breeding in Africa and was probably the first penguin encountered by Europeans. Numbers declined significantly during the Twentieth Century and their future has been jeopardized recently by major oil spills.

 

Identification:

The only penguin occurring regularly in southern Africa. African Penguins, like Humboldt Penguins, differ from Magellanic Penguins in that they lack a second dark breast band (although some African Penguins do have an additional breast band). The area of naked skin reaches all around the eye and is more extensive than that in Humboldt Penguins. Immature African Penguins have a grey face and lack the pied pattern of adults. Adult plumage occurs after 14 months.

 

Habits:

African Penguins breed in burrows, rock crevices and under shrubs, often forming large colonies, with some numbering over ten thousand pairs. Breeding is poorly synchronised. Their loud braying voice led to them also being called Jackass Penguins. Birds forage close inshore, especially during the breeding season.

 

Distribution:

As the name suggests, the African Penguin is endemic to southern Africa with the largest concentrations along the Benguela Current, which brings nutrient-rich water to the west coast of South Africa and Namibia.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Non-migratory. Vagrants have been found as far north as Setta Cama, Gabon, and Inhaca Island, Mozambique.

 

Diet:

Mainly fish (over 80%), in particular anchovy. Cephalopods and crustaceans are taken as well, but to a much lesser extent.

 

 

Chinstrap   Penguin

Scientific name  : Pygoscelis antarctica

 

Size: 5.0 kg (m), 4.8 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open

Favourite food: krill

 

This delicately coloured bird is arguably the most beautiful of penguins. In contrast to other adult penguins, apart from Royal Penguins, this species has a white face. This is separated from the white belly by a thin dark line running under the lower part of the chin - therefore the name.

 

Identification:

Chinstrap Penguins are medium-sized penguins, easily recognised by their white face and the fine black line across the cheeks. The demarcation between the black and white lies above the eye, isolating the dark eye in the white plumage. The bill is black. In contrast to most other penguins, juvenile Chinstraps closely resemble their parents. Until their first moult, juveniles can be recognised by dark spotting around the eyes and a slightly shorter bill.

 

Habits:

Usually breeds on hillside slopes and rocky outcrops in colonies that sometimes can be enormous. At the South Shetlands, Chinstrap Penguins often breed amongst other Pygoscelis   penguins, though usually on steeper slopes. Their marine distribution seems to be linked with the limits of the continental shelf and the confluence of the Antarctic circumpolar and Weddell Sea currents.

 

Distribution:

Intermediate between the Adelie in the south and the Gentoo Penguin in the north. Breeding colonies are almost exclusively on the Scotia Arc: that is, around the Antarctic Peninsula on South Georgia, South Orkney, South Shetland, and South Sandwich Islands (vast numbers on the latter). Small numbers also breed on Bouvetøya, Peter First, Heard and Balleny Islands.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Chinstrap Penguins leave their breeding colonies during winter, probably migrating north of the pack-ice and stay at sea until the next spring. Non-breeders have been recorded in Adelie Land, Antarctica and stragglers have reached Australia and Tierra del Fuego.

 

Diet:

Chinstrap Penguins feed almost exclusively on krill (Euphasia superba). Other crustaceans and fish play a minor role.

 

Emperor Penguin

 

Scientific name: Aptenodytes forsteri

Size: 36.7 kg (m), 28.4kg (f)

Nest type: breed on sea ice in winter, egg carried on feet

Favourite food: fish and squid

 

The Emperor Penguin is a bird of extremes in just about every way. It breeds during the Antarctic winter and exhibits many adaptations to the extreme cold that these birds experience when breeding.

 

Identification:

The Emperor Penguin is bigger than any other living penguin, standing up to 1.1 m tall. It is distinguished from the smaller King Penguin by its size, more robust stature, and a broad pale yellow connection between the orange-yellow ear patches and the pale yellow upper breast. Immature birds resemble adults but are smaller and have a white rather than black chin. Ear patches are whitish, becoming increasingly yellow with age.

 

Habits:

Breeds during the Antarctic winter from March to December. Eggs and chicks are balanced on the feet to prevent them from coming into contact with the ice. No nests are built, which allows the colony to move around and huddle close together, providing some protection from the cold. The male is solely responsible for the two-month incubation of the egg during the heart of winter in almost continuous darkness. If the female has not returned by the time of hatching, the male is able to feed the chick for a short time with a “milk” secreted from the oesophagus.

 

Distribution:

Breeds during the Antarctic winter in about 30 colonies around the southern parts of the Antarctic continent, usually on fast ice. Probably depends a lot upon polynias – areas of open water surrounded by sea ice – during winter.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Little is known about post-breeding dispersal or migration. Adults stay close to the permanent ice for most of their lives. Juveniles equipped with satellite transmitters, however, migrated as far north as the polar front. Vagrants have turned up on the South Shetland Islands, Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands, South Sandwich Islands, Kerguelen Island, Heard Island, and New Zealand.

 

Diet:

Fish, cephalopods and krill are taken to varying degrees, though cephalopods and fish probably represent the major components of the diet, especially in terms of mass.

 

Erect-crested Penguin

 

Scientific name: Eudyptes sclateri

 

Size: 5.2 kg (m), 5.1 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open; nest on rocks with little to no nesting material to line nests

Favourite food: krill and squid

 

A little-known rather bizarre bird with a limited breeding distribution in a very isolated part the world.

 

Identification:

Similar to other crested penguins, in particular Snares and Fiordland Penguins. When dry on land Erect-crested Penguin can be identified by the upright yellow feather plumes of their crests. Erect-crested Penguins have a distinct gular pouch, a more parallel bill, and the yellow supercilium attaches higher on the bill than in Snares and Fiordland Penguins. Identification at sea is extremely difficult because feather plumes droop down when wet. Immatures have a pale yellow supercilium without the long plumes and a mottled grey throat. They can be distinguished from other crested penguins by the lower supercilium, size and gular pouch.

 

Habits:

Erect-crested Penguins breed on rocky slopes bordering the shore. A few pairs build nests but most lay their eggs onto the bare rock. After a long courtship period two eggs are laid but the first, much smaller, A-egg is invariably lost, in most cases on the same day or before the B-egg has been laid.

 

Distribution:

In an arc that characterizes the distribution of crested penguins, from the Antarctic Peninsula and South America through the sub-Antarctic islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Erect-crested Penguins form the terminal species in the east. They are now restricted to the Bounty and Antipodes Islands, with a few isolated pairs still breeding on the Auckland Islands. All these sites are south of the subtropical convergence but well north of the polar front. Until recently there were also some birds breeding on Campbell Island, but they seem to have disappeared from there now. Abundant sub-fossil material from the Chatham Islands has also been attributed to this species.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Erect-crested Penguins do not come to land after their post-breeding moult and their winter distribution at sea is unknown. Some birds moult regularly on other sub-Antarctic Islands south of New Zealand and, less commonly, on the South Island of New Zealand. Vagrants have been recorded from Northland (North Island of New Zealand), Tasmania, southern Australia, Heard Island and the Falkland Islands.

 

Diet:

Diet has never been studied in this species, but judging from its long foraging trips, like other crested penguins they probably live mainly on pelagic crustaceans and fish.

 

Fiordland Penguin

 

Scientific name: Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

 

Size: 4.1 kg (m), 3.7 kg (f)

Nest type: in forest under vegetation or rocks; in caves

Favourite food: fish and squid

 

The Fiordland Penguin lives in the temperate rainforest of the southwest coast of the South Island and Stewart Island, New Zealand, where it is endemic.

 

Identification:

Similar to Snares Penguin, with a thick yellow stripe running above the eye and ending in a dropping plume. Distinguished from Snares Penguin by its larger size, a series of white streaks on the cheeks and the lack of a fleshy margin at the base of the bill. Immature birds have a mottled white chin, thinner dull yellow supercilium and probably cannot be safely distinguished from Snares Penguin.

 

Habits:

Fiordland Penguins breed under high rainforest canopy, in dense shrub, under boulders and in caves. The nests are lined with twigs and grass. Colonies usually consist of loose groups; nests can be several metres apart. All breeding grounds are north of the subtropical convergence. However, this oceanfront is close to most breeding sites and is likely to provide most of the food for breeding birds. The breeding season begins in June during the austral winter. Males fast for 40 to 45 days from arrival until their first foraging trip. The second-laid egg hatches several days before the first egg. The smaller chick from the latter typically dies within a few days due to starvation.

 

Distribution:

Endemic to New Zealand. Breeds in the cold rainforest of the southwest coast of the South Island down to Stewart Island.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Migrates into the Tasman Sea as indicated by at-sea observations and the occurrence of moulting birds in eastern Australia. Moulting birds regularly occur also on the Snares Islands. Vagrants have been recorded on the Chathams, Campbell and Macquarie Islands, and as far as Western Australia in Australia.

 

Diet:

From the limited information that is available it appears that the diet can vary considerably between locations. A study from Codfish Island found that small pelagic fish larvae contributed over 80% of the food intake by mass, with the remaining portion made up by squid. On the west coast of the South Island, however, squid made up over 80% of the diet, crustaceans 13% and fish only 2%. Both studies, nevertheless, indicate that Fiordland Penguins mainly forage in pelagic waters undertaking shallow dives.

 

Galapagos Penguin

 

Scientific name: Spheniscus mendiculus

 

Size: 2.1 kg (m), 1.7 kg (f)

Nest type: burrow or crevices in lava

Favourite food: small fish

 

The northernmost of all penguins, Galapagos Penguins breed right on the equator. Populations fluctuate heavily under the influence of El Niño to a degree that the future survival of the species is endangered.

 

Identification:

They are the smallest of the Spheniscus penguins. Distinguished by their relatively large bill and narrow white line around the face.

 

Habits:

They breed mainly in caves or crevices of old lava flows and in burrows.

 

Distribution:

Endemic to the Galapagos Islands where it breeds on Isabela, Fernandina and possibly Bartholomew. Distribution seems to be correlated with the Cromwell Current, which provides cold nutrient-rich surface water.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Galapagos Penguins remain close to their breeding islands throughout the year. A record from the Pacific coast of Panama might well have been ship-assisted.

 

Diet:

The main prey items taken by Galapagos Penguin are small fish like mullet and sardines.

 

 

Gentoo Penguin

 

 

Scientific name: Pygoscelis papua

 

Size: 5.6 kg (m), 5.1 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open

Favourite food: krill and fish

 

This is the most northern penguin of this genus and, in many other respects, the odd one out. In contrast to Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins, some Gentoo Penguins can be found around their breeding colonies all year round and they forage much closer inshore than the other two Pygoscelis species.

 

Identification:

Gentoo Penguins are characterised by a white patch around and behind the eye that joins on the crown. The orange-red lower mandible is also a distinct feature. Two subspecies are recognised: a larger form in the sub-Antarctic and a smaller, but otherwise similar subspecies on the Antarctic Peninsula. Juveniles are very similar to adults, but the white eye-patch is not connected to their white eye-rings until they moult at an age of 14 months.

 

Habits:

Colonies are usually smaller than those of other Pygoscelis penguins and are less densely packed. In the sub-Antarctic the nests are often found amongst tussocks, whereas on the Antarctic Peninsula they nest on stony ice-free areas and beaches.

 

Distribution:

Mainly in the sub-Antarctic, but extending to the Antarctic Peninsula. Breeds on Staten, Falkland, South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, South Shetland, the Antarctic Peninsula, Marion, Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard, and Macquarie Islands. There is some evidence that the size of colonies depend on the local width of the continental shelf, i.e. the available inshore foraging area.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Gentoo Penguin can be found near their colonies all year round unless ice prevents access, as it can in the southern parts of their range. Nevertheless, vagrants have been found as far north as 43°S on the Argentinean coast as well as in Australia and New Zealand.

 

Diet:

Dietary composition varies between season and locations but generally crustaceans, in particular krill (euphausiids), are the dominant prey in the southern part of the range, whereas benthic fish are more commonly caught in lower latitudes. Squid play only a minor role.

 

 

 

Megadyptes

 

 

Yellow-eyed

The genus Megadyptes contains only a single species, the Yellow-eyed Penguin, which is endemic to southern New Zealand. Recent phylogenetic studies have shown Megadyptes to be the sister taxon of the crested penguins, Eudyptes. Yellow-eyed Penguins share the strong reddish bill and yellow feathers on the head with the crested penguins, but differ distinctively in many other respects. Generally they rear two chicks, they forage close inshore and do not migrate. In contrast to most other penguins, Yellow-eyed Penguins do not breed in dense colonies, but in single pairs or loose groups with nests out of sight of each other.

 

 

King Penguin

 

Scientific name: Aptenodytes patagonicus

Size: 16.0 kg (m), 14.3 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open, have territories but no nest

Favourite food: fish, some squid

 

No other bird has a longer breeding cycle than King Penguins. They take 14 to 16 months to fledge a single chick. During the winter, chicks may be left to fast for from one to five months (May to September/October). Adults can rear a maximum of only two chicks every three years.

 

Identification:

The second-largest penguin species, similar in appearance to Emperor Penguin, but their ranges do not usually overlap. Cheeks are dark orange. The belly is white but the back is paler than other penguins, more of a grey than black. Immatures are similar to adults, but with duller facial plumage. Ear patches are pale yellow rather than orange and the throat is grey-white. Reaches adult plumage after two years.

 

Habits:

Dense colonies, which can number several tens of thousand pairs, are located amongst tussocks, gently sloping beaches, and sometimes can be over a kilometre inland. No nest is built, but pairs still maintain territories within pecking distance of each other.

 

Distribution:

Restricted to the sub-Antarctic belt, well north of Emperor Penguins. Breeding colonies are found on Falkland (re-colonised after extermination), South Georgia, Marion, Prince Edward, Crozet (over half of the world’s population), Kerguelen, Heard (re-colonised after extermination), and Macquarie Islands. At sea, King Penguins are usually found in ice-free waters. Telemetry studies have shown that they forage particularly along the polar front.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Due to the extended breeding cycle some birds can be found in the colony at any time of the year. During winter, adults leave their chicks unattended and may travel extensively before returning. Stragglers have reached the Antarctic Peninsula, Mawson, Gough Island, South Africa, southern Australia (including Tasmania), the North and South Islands of New Zealand, as well as New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands.

 

Diet:

King Penguins are specialised on pelagic fish, in particular laternfish of the species Electrona carlsbergi , Kreffichthys anderssoni and Protomyctophum tenisoni, which can make up over 99 % of the diet. Cephalopods play a minor role and, to an even lesser extent, so do crustaceans.

 

 

Little Penguin

 

Scientific name: Eudyptula minor

 

Size: 1.2 kg (m), 1.0 kg (f)

Nest type: burrow, cave or under bushes

Favourite food: small fish

 

The world’s smallest penguin (also known as Little Blue, Blue and Fairy Penguin).

 

Identification:

The Little Penguin closely resembles juveniles of the genus Spheniscus, but their ranges do not overlap. Upper parts are pale blue to a dark grey-blue depending upon age, season and subspecies. The transition from the dark upper parts to the white plumage of the lower body is not as well defined as in other penguins, going through shades of grey and brown, especially in the face.

 

Habits:

In contrast to the other species, Little Penguins are nocturnal. That means they generally do not enter the shore before dusk and leave it before dawn. They forage during the day and often will sleep beside the nest at night after they have fed chicks. This species nests in burrows, under trees, in rock crevices, and sometimes in caves. Usually nests are clustered to form colonies, but single breeding pairs are not uncommon. At sea Little Penguins are often found alone or in small groups of up to ten birds, but sometimes these groups can be much larger. Although foraging trip durations can be highly variable, Little Penguins tend to stay close to the coast.

 

Distribution:

Little Penguins are widely distributed in Australia (from Western Australia along the southern coast of Australia up to New South Wales) and in New Zealand (from Northland to Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands). The White-flippered Penguin (E. m. albosignata) is an endangered subspecies, restricted to Banks Peninsula and Motonau Island (South Island, New Zealand) that has often been treated as a full species. Geographic variation of size, extent of white on the tail and flipper, and colour tone of the back is considerable. Six subspecies have been described: novaehollandia in Australia, iredaei in northern New Zealand, variabilis from Cook Strait, New Zealand, albosignata on Banks Peninsula, minor in the lower part of the South Island, New Zealand, and chathamensis from the Chatham Islands.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Juveniles disperse widely after fledging. Adults sometimes undertake long trips at sea during the non-breeding season, but return regularly to the colony throughout the year.

 

Breeding Season and Moult:

The breeding season is highly variable from place to place and in some areas from year to year. It usually begins in August/September. The first chicks fledge in November/December, but in many areas there are second or, sometimes even, third clutches laid, which can extend the breeding season up to May. Little Penguins moult once at the end of the breeding season. At Phillip Island, Australia, this occurs mainly between mid-February and mid-March. Moulting is more synchronised than laying.

 

Diet:

Mainly fish, especially sardines and anchovies, but also cephalopods and to a very small degree crustaceans.

• Little Penguin chick near fledging. Photo: Lloyd Davis Photography

 

 

Macaroni Penguin

 

Scientific name: Eudyptes chrysolophus

 

Size: 5.2 kg (m), 5.3kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open

Favourite food: krill

 

This is probably the most abundant of all penguins in terms of total numbers. Brood reduction is taken to an extreme by this species. The Royal Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus schlegeli), a white-faced variant, is treated as a subspecies of Macaroni Penguin here, but others accord the Royal penguin full species status.

 

Identification:

In contrast to the other crested Penguins, this species has orange, not yellow, feather plumes. They originate from a supercilium that meets at the front, i.e. higher up the head than in other species. Macaroni Penguins are also slightly larger than the other crested penguins. Most Macaroni Penguins breeding on Macquarie Island (south of Australia) have a white face and are referred to as Royal Penguins: they are sometimes given full species status (Eudyptes schlegeli), although the biological basis for doing so is very doubtful. Immatures are similar to adults but lack the long feather crest. Instead only a short orange-yellow supercilium is present.

 

Habits:

Breeds on rocky slopes, beaches and amongst tussocks. Most birds build a small nest from pebbles and by scraping out some mud or sand, but many pairs are content with laying their two eggs on bare rock. Egg-size dimorphism of Macaromi Penguins (and Erect-crested Penguins) is amongst the largest known for any bird. The first-laid A-egg is about 61-64% smaller than the B-egg. In most cases the A-egg is lost before or on the day the B-egg is laid, and it almost never survives to fledging even though the embryo is viable. Satellite telemetry studies indicate that Macaroni Penguins forage mainly along the polar front regularly travelling up to 400 km to reach a feeding site.

 

Distribution:

The distribution of Macaroni Penguin extends from the sub-Antarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula, but overall they are found further south than the rest of the crested penguins. The range overlaps with that of the southern form of the Rockhopper Penguin. Breeding colonies are found on the Antarctic Peninsula, islands around Cape Horn, Falklands, South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, South Shetland, Bouvetøya, Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard Island and Macquarie Island.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Macaroni Penguins are migratory and found only exceptionally near land during the non-breeding season. Vagrant dark-faced birds are known from South Africa, Antarctica, Campbell Island, and The Snares. Royal Penguins have been recorded, possibly breeding, on Heard, Kerguelen, Crozet Island, and Marion Island amongst dark-faced Macaroni Penguins and stragglers have been observed as far north as North Island, New Zealand.

 

Diet:

The diet is mainly composed of crustaceans. On Macquarie, euphausiids make up only half the diet by weight, with fish constituting the other half.

 

 

Magellanic Penguin

 

 

Scientific name: Spheniscus magellanicus

 

Size: 4.9 kg (m), 4.6 kg (f)

Nest type: burrow or under bushes

Favourite food: small fish

 

Similar to African Penguin (to which it is very closely related), but breeding on the opposite side of the Atlantic. It is also the only migratory, offshore-foraging species in this genus.

 

Identification:

It is the only Spheniscus penguin found over most of its range, but overlaps the distribution of Humboldt Penguins around Puerto Montt, Chile. Humboldt Penguins lack the second dark breast band found in Magellanic Penguin and have more extensive areas of bare facial skin. However, as both of these characters are subject to individual variation and hybrids do occur, not every bird might be identifiable. Some immature birds undergo partial head moult during winter and gain the pied head pattern of adults.

 

Habits:

Breeds in burrows where digging is possible, otherwise on the surface or under bushes. Colonies form in a variety of habitats from low forests to grassland to bare rocks, often on islands or headlands. Some colonies on the Argentinean side number several hundreds of thousands of pairs.

 

Distribution:

Breeds around the southern tip of South America from 40°S in Argentina to 37°S in Chile, as well as on the Falkland Islands. The largest colonies are found on the Atlantic side of South America.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Magellanic Penguins are migratory, some birds moving as far north as Peru and Brazil in winter. Vagrants have been recorded in South Georgia, on the Antarctic Peninsula, Australia, and New Zealand.

 

Diet:

Fish, mainly anchovies and sardines, are supplemented by cephalopods. Considerable variation between sites and years has been recorded, however, and one study found a small crustacean to be the main prey item.

 

 

Rockhopper Penguin

 

Scientific name: Eudyptes chrysocome

 

Size: 2.5 kg (m), 2.4 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open; sometimes in association with other species

Favourite food: krill, fish and squid

 

Breeding in sometimes-large colonies throughout the sub-Antarctic. Smaller than its congeners, but no less aggressive. There is some evidence that the Northern Rockhopper or Moseley’s Penguin is deserving of separate species status. Whatever, the Northern Rockhopper and Southern Rockhopper are clearly closely related and much of what applies to one probably holds for the other, but actual data are still scarce.

 

Identification:

Rockhoppers are distinguished from other crested penguins by their smaller size and by having only a thin yellow superscilium. The feather plumes are yellow, not orange as in Macaroni Penguin, and thinner than in the remaining Eudyptes species. The red eye is distinctive. Southern Rockhopper Penguins differ from their Northern counterparts in having a narrower supercilium and shorter plumes, which reach just over the black throat. Their vocalisations are also different. The Southern Rockhopper actually comprises two subspecies that have been described and can be identified in the field: the nominate form from South America and the Falkland Islands and the eastern subspecies filholi from the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands. The eastern form mainly differs from the nominate subspecies in having a pink line of fleshy skin along the lower mandible which is black in the nominate subspecies. Immature birds have only a narrow supercilium and a pale mottled grey chin. Identification of juveniles is difficult. Shape of the supercilium, bill shape, body size and underwing pattern can aid identification. Separation of juvenile Southern and Northern Rockhopper Penguins in the field is probably impossible.

 

Habits:

Breeding colonies are located on rocky slopes and amongst tussocks, sometimes in small caves and amongst crevices. A small nest is build from tussock, peat and pebbles. Nevertheless, most of the first-laid eggs (A-eggs) are lost during incubation. The few chicks that hatch from A-eggs almost invariably die during the first few days of brooding.

 

Distribution:

The northern form of the Rockhopper Penguin breeds in cool temperate climates, generally north of the subtropical convergence, with breeding occurring on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the Atlantic Ocean and St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands in the Indian Ocean. The breeding season starts three months earlier (July) than in the southern form. The latter is restricted to the northern sub-Antarctic and has a circumpolar distribution. Breeding colonies are around the Cape Horn area, Falklands, Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard, Macquarie, Campbell, Auckland and Antipodes Islands. Campbell Island used to be the eastern stronghold of the species, but the population there has plummeted recently.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

The non-breeding pelagic range is poorly known. Moulting birds especially have been found in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The western subspecies (nominate form) has been recorded as far as the Snares Islands during moult. Vagrants of the Northern Rockhopper have been recorded on the Chatham Islands.

 

Diet:

Crustaceans, in particular euphausids, make up the bulk of food items consumed during most studies of this species. Fish and cephalopods play a minor role, though one study found 53% cephalopods (by weight). Over 90% of the diet (by mass) of Northern Rockhopper Penguins breeding on Gough Island consisted of crustaceans (mainly euphausids). The remaining 10% was made up of fish and, to a very small extent, squid.

 

 

Royal Penguin

 

 

Scientific name: Eudyptes schlegeli or Eudyptes chrysolophus schlegeli

 

Size: 5.2 kg (m), 5.3kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open

Favourite food: krill

 

The Royal Penguin is treated as a separate penguin species (Eudyptes schlegeli) by some. However, other authorities highlight evidence from DNA, morphology and behaviour that points to Royal Penguins being a white-faced variant (Eudyptes chrysolophus schlegeli) of Macaroni Penguins.

 

Identification:

In contrast to the other crested penguins, Royal (and Macaroni) Penguins have orange, not yellow, feather plumes. They originate from a supercilium that meets at the front; i.e. higher up the head than in other species. These penguins are also slightly larger than the other crested penguins. Royal Penguins breed on Macquarie Island and most have a white face. Immatures are similar to adults but lack the long feather crest. Instead only a short orange-yellow supercilium is present.

 

Habits:

Breeds on rocky slopes, beaches and amongst tussocks. Most birds build a small nest from pebbles and by scraping out some mud or sand, but many pairs are content with laying their two eggs on bare rock. Satellite telemetry studies indicate that Royal penguins forage mainly along the Polar Front regularly travelling up to 400 km to reach a feeding site.

 

Distribution:

 

Breeds on Macquarie Island.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Royal penguins have been recorded, possibly breeding, on Heard, Kerguelen, Crozet Island, and Marion Island amongst dark-faced Macaroni penguins and stragglers have been observed as far north as North Island, New Zealand.

 

Diet:

The diet is mainly composed of crustaceans. On Macquarie, euphausiids make up only half the diet by weight, with fish constituting the other half.

• Royal Penguins, Macquarie Island. Photo: Lloyd Davis Photography

 

 

Snares Penguin

 

Scientific name: Eudyptes robustus

Size: 3.3 kg (m), 2.8 kg (f)

Nest type: in colonies in the open or under forest canopy

Favourite food: krill, squid and fish

 

Similar in many respects to Fiordland Penguin but endemic to the Snares Islands, which are about 100 km south of the nearest Fiordland Penguin breeding sites. With its breeding range confined to the just over 300 ha of the Snares group, it has the most restricted distribution of all penguins.

 

Identification:

Similar to Fiordland Penguins (see above for differences). Differs from Erect-crested Penguins in having drooping feather plumes on the crest, the yellow facial stripe reaches further up the bill, and they have a more conical bill. The underwing pattern is highly variable and of little use for identification in the field.

 

Habits:

Breeds under the canopy of Olearia forests, as well as on coastal rock. The forest often dies due to penguin guano, creating clearings. The birds build a cup nest from peat, wood and pebbles and nest in dense colonies. Similar to Fiordland Penguin, both chicks usually hatch, but only the first-hatched chick (from the B-egg) typically survives beyond the first few days.

 

Distribution:

Endemic to the Snares Islands south of New Zealand. Little is known about the non-breeding distribution.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Thought to move westwards into the Tasman Sea. Vagrants have been recorded on Macquarie Island and on the Falklands.

 

Diet:

The few studies that have been undertaken indicate that this species lives mainly on euphausiids, but also takes cephalopods and a few fish.

 

 

 

Yellow-eyed Penguin

 

 

Scientific name: Megadyptes antipodes

 

Size: 5.7 kg (m), 5.4kg (f)

Nest type: under dense vegetation

Favourite food: fish and squid

 

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is often referred to as the rarest penguin in the world, although, unfortunately, there are others that could lay claim to that crown too: especially the Galapagos and Fiordland Penguins.

 

Identification:

Adults are unmistakable with their yellow eyes and yellow eye-stripes that join on the back of the head. Moulting birds and birds at sea can be confused with crested penguins. Immature birds are similar to adults but have a pale yellow chin and a less vivid yellow eye-stripe.

 

Habits:

They nest in dense vegetation in dunes and coastal forest, with nests typically being isolated from each other. At sea, Yellow-eyed Penguins forage in pairs or alone.

 

Distribution:

Endemic to New Zealand, Yellow-eyed Penguins breed on the east and south coast of the South Island, on and around Stewart Island, the Auckland Islands, and Campbell Islands.

 

Migration and Vagrancy:

Resident. Adults can be found near the breeding colonies throughout the year. Juveniles disperse as far north as East Cape, North Island, but none have been recorded in Australia.

 

Breeding Season and Moult:

Yellow-eyed penguins have a very long chick-rearing period (100 days). Consequently, breeding takes from September to February. Moult occurs at the end of the breeding period.

 

Diet:

Yellow-eyed Penguins feed mainly on fish. Both, pelagic and demersal species are taken. Cephalopods are taken to a lesser extent, but may be more important for immatures and for adults in years when available fish stocks are limited.