Curiosities About Penguins
Penguins are members of the Spheniscidae family, flightless and able to live in the cold polar climate. Penguins are a type of seabird with webbed feet that can swim. Their most distinctive physical features are their black and white plumage, the bright whiteness of their abdomen and the dark bands that cover their bodies.
Did you know that there are no penguins in the Northern Hemisphere? Yes, you read that right, penguins are not found in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, including the North Pole. They are found only in the Southern Hemisphere, off the coasts of the South Pole, New Zealand, Australia, South America, South Africa and the Galapagos Islands. Some species can also live in temperate regions, not between glaciers, as people think.
As far as known, there are 18 known species. Here, we will talk about my guest Humboldt Penguins, which you can see up close at Emaar Aquarium.
Humboldt Penguins at Emaar Aquarium
They are a species of penguin from the genus Spheniscus of the family Spheniscidae. They are named after Alexander von Humboldt, the first western observer to discover them. In addition, the region where they live is also known by the same name. These penguins live in small colonies on the west coast of South America and in the cold regions of the Humboldt Current.
What Do Humboldt Penguins Look Like?
Adults can grow up to about 60 centimeters in length. The upper part of their body is blackish gray and the lower part is white with irregular gray spots. Their most distinctive features are their prominent black breast bands and pink facial skin. Their length varies between 56-70 cm. Their weight varies between 3-5 kg. It is a medium-sized penguin species; smaller than Emperor and King penguins and larger than Galapagos penguins.
What Do Humboldt Penguins Eat?
Humboldt penguins feed on small fish such as anchovies, sardines and crustaceans. When hunting, they move in flocks and can usually dive up to 50 meters.
How Humboldt Penguins Reproduce
While most penguin species nest in ice or rocky areas, Humboldt penguins live in shallow waters and nest in caves or crevices between rocks. This is another characteristic that sets them apart from other penguins. They can breed twice a year, which is another distinctive feature that makes them different from many cold climate penguins.
Humboldt penguins are a threatened bird species. Excessive fishing and hunting in their habitat has led to a significant decline in their numbers. Another common occurrence is the drowning of penguins caught in fishing nets.
