ENDANGERED PENGUINS

HUMBOLDT PENGUIN

Humboldt Penguin - Spheniscus humboldti

This is an average sized penguin with a full grown weight of no more than 13 pounds. When they mature they will develop a black breast band. It will extend all the way down to the thigh region. They only have one band around their neck which is an easy way to tell them from the Magellanic Penguins that live in close proximity to them.

Behavior

Due to the warm temperatures where the Humboldt Penguins live, they don’t engage in the migration process. The physical appearance of these penguins is very much the same for both the males and females. It is from observing their behaviors though that they are able to be distinguished from each other. Both sexes are very social within their colony. They have intricate sounds for communication that researchers still have to learn a great deal about. It through sight and sound that they are able to recognize each other as independent beings. The entire colony works together in order to offer protection from their enemies.

Conservation

Right now the Humboldt Penguin is considered to be very vulnerable. The numbers aren’t low enough for it to be considered as threatened or endangered. However, the numbers continue to drop due to fishing in the area. That is their food source and it is becoming less available. They are often injured or destroyed in fishing nets out there as well.

Another reason that they are dropping in numbers is due to their natural habitat being destroyed. Changes due to the climate continue to reduce their numbers as well. For example when an El Nino occurs things are definitely off balance for them. There is no more than 12,000 of them remaining at this time

(source: google/http://www.penguins-world.com/).