Zoolung Animals

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Humboldt Penguin

People often think penguins live only in cold regions, but the Humboldt penguin comes from the warm coasts of Peru and Chile in South America, where the Humboldt Current flows. They are smaller than other penguins and love to swim. To keep their bodies dry, their feathers are denser than those of other birds and are divided into a stiff upper layer that repels water and a soft lower layer that retains heat. They also have oil glands under their tails, and they use their beaks to apply this oil to their bodies to keep their feathers from getting wet.

Category

Order Sphenisciformes Family Spheniscidae
Habitat

coastline
Diet

Fish, squid, and shellfish

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Related Programs

Yeongdeungpo

Small TalkTalk with Zoolungman (Zoolung Square)

Dongtan

Humboldt Penguin Ecology Talk

Species

Vulnerable species

It belongs to the medium-sized penguin species and is a protected species classified as **Vulnerable (VU)** on the IUCN Red List.

Place of discovery

Western coast of South America

It inhabits the region of the cold Humboldt Current, which flows along the coasts of Peru and Chile.

Habitat

Rocky coasts and islands

It inhabits rocky coastlines, offshore islands, and coastal cliffs where it digs burrows to build its nests.

Diet

Carnivorous (fish, squid)

It is a carnivore that primarily feeds on small fish such as anchovies and sardines, as well as squid.

Action

Diurnal and social behavior

They are diurnal animals that are active mainly during the day and live in huge groups of several hundred to several thousand individuals.

Average size

Length: 56–66 cm

It measures approximately 56–66 cm in length and weighs 3.5–5.9 kg, making it a medium-sized penguin.

Features

Black stripes on the chest

It is characterized by distinct black stripes on its white chest, and the skin around its eyes is pink.

Lifespan

15–20 years in the wild, 30 years in captivity

In the wild, they live for about 15 to 20 years, and in captivity, they can live up to 20 to 30 years.