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| Latin name | pheniscus humboldti |
| Height | 67 - 72cm (27 - 29 inches) |
| Weight | up to 4.9kg (11lb) |
| Gestation | 42 - 45 days |
| No. of young | 2 |
| Lifespan | 18 - 25 years in the wild up to 30 years in captivity |
Humboldt penguins, otherwise known as Peruvian penguins, come from North Chile and Southern Peru in South America. They are usually found of the coast, in regions of the Humboldt water current. They nest on rocky coasts on the mainland as well as some islands.
In the wild, Humboldt penguins feed on small mackerel, anchovies, herring, krill and pilchards. To feed, penguins must dive for their food so they have heavy bones which lessens buoyancy. The bill is serrated with a small hook at the end to hold its prey.
When the male and female penguins have paired up, the male will choose the nest site and build the nest. In the wild, they would nest in rock crevices or holes in the ground. Their favourite place to nest is in thick layers of Guano (layers of their droppings that have built up over many years). Penguins are not like other birds that make nice fluffy nests. They make their nest out of driftwood, pelican feathers and a collection of small stones and pebbles.
Once the male has made the nest, the female will lay two eggs, five days apart. Both of the parents take part in the incubation of the eggs and the rearing of the chicks. Humboldt penguins breed all year round.
Penguins are flightless marine birds, of which there are 17 species. They use their wings as flippers while they are swimming. Their webbed feet and short tail are used to steer when swimming.
Their eyes are adapted so that they can see as well underwater as they can out of water. Humboldt penguins have a striking piebald plumage with a marking of spots on the chest, which is unique to each bird.
Humboldt penguins, like most penguins, moult once a year after breeding. Moulting is a very painful process for the birds. The penguins can swell up to twice their size in order to allow their feathers to fall out from head to tail. As moulting results in a loss of waterproofing, moulting birds are unable to feed. They therefore spend some time at sea before this, building up fat reserves. The penguin’s feathers provide a body covering which is waterproof, wind resistant and insulating.
The numbers of Humboldt penguins have been in decline since the mid 19th century when the guano was harvested for fertilizer which caused a serious drop in good breeding sites. They have also been hunted for food, oil and their skins.
A local sea current uprising killed more than half the number of penguins in 1983 and prevented breeding that year. Commercial fishing has also reduced prey and a significant number of penguins are caught in fishing nets. Out of the seventeen species of penguin, the Humboldt penguin is one of the most rare.
- Penguins dive into the water in a large group to hunt for their food. The mass dive helps to confuse predators who may be lurking nearby.
- The maximum recorded dives are close to 230 feet (70m), but most birds remain within 3.3 feet (1m).
- The Latin name Spheniscus is a Greek word meaning ‘wedge shaped’, which refers to the triangular shape of the penguin’s flippers.