Penguin - Order: Sphenisciformes - facts and video

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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.

Fast Facts

Size: The blue penguin, also known as the fairy penguin, is the smallest of the penguin species at 16 inches tall (.41m). It weighs about 2.2 (1 kg) pounds. The largest penguin species is the emperor penguin, which is about 3.7 feet (1.1m) tall and weighs between 60 and 90 pounds (27-41 kg).

Lifespan: 15 to 20 years depending on the species.

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Diet

Staples: Krill, fish and squid.
In general, penguins closer to the equator eat more fish and penguins closer to Antarctica eat more squid and krill.

Population

Did You Know?

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). See a penguin range map >>

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.

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.

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

Global Warming and Other Threats

Penguins are threatened by global warming. 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.

Did You Know?

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)!

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 global warming 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.

Did You Know?

African penguins have spots on their chest that are like human fingerprints: no two are the same!

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.

Reasons For Hope

In March 2009 the African penguins on the Cape of Good Hope got 200 new nesting boxes made of fiberglass that simulate natural nests that will protect them from the scorching sun and predators.

The penguins’ popularity in the hearts of people may also help them survive: an oil spill in 2000 prompted a massive rescue effort in which thousands of volunteers mobilized to rescue 38,000 birds.

Legal Status/Protection

Endangered Species Act: Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Galapagos penguin is listed as endangered.
IUCN Red List: Out of the 18 penguin species listed, four are listed as endangered, seven as vulnerable, and two as near threatened.
CITES: The Humboldt penguin is protected under Appendix I and the African penguin is protected under Appendix II.
Learn more about legal status and protection of penguins >>

How You Can Help

Help penguins and other wildlife by adopting a penguin today at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.

For additional information

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More Fact Sheets

Diet
Population
Range
Behavior
Global Warming & Threats
Reasons For Hope
Legal Status/Protection
How You Can Help
Additional Information

Range Map

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Threat Status

Endangered Species Act

IUCN Red List

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Endangered Species Act - Categories

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Galapagos penguin is listed as endangered, which means it is in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

The U.S. is currently considering listing the African penguin on its endangered species list, and is considering six others, including the southern Rockhopper, for threatened status.¹

IUCN Red List :: Status

Out of the 18 penguin species listed, four are listed as endangered, which means probability of their extinction during the next 20 years is greater than 20%. Seven species are listed as vulnerable, which means probability of their extinction during the next 20 years is at least 10%, and two penguin species are listed as as near threatened.²

CITES: Appendix Status

The Humboldt penguin is protected under Appendix I, which means it cannot be traded commercially, and the African penguin is protected under Appendix II, which means it can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.³

¹The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.

² The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on plants and animals that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. The IUCN Species Programme working with the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) has for more than four decades been assessing the conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties, and even selected subpopulations on a global scale in order to highlight taxa threatened with extinction, and therefore promote their conservation.

³Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.