|
|
|
Banded Penguins (Spheniscus)Humboldt Penguin(Spheniscus humboldti)
Click on thumbnails for larger image They are also known as the Peruvian Penguin. They are shorter than the African Penguin being an average of 25.5 inches in length and weight ranges from 6.1 to 11 pounds. They have a wide black horseshoe band across their chest and may be confused with the African penguin. They are endemic to the the area influenced by the cold, nutrient rich Humboldt current, breeding on the mainland Pacific coast and offshore islands of Chile and Peru. Because they live in a temperate climate, they lack feathers on their legs and have bare areas on their face to dissipate excess heat to prevent overheating. Their diet consists mainly of fish and krill. There are 5,000 to 10,000 breeding pairs and the population is threatened. Over fishing of aanchovetta (a small fish), incidental catches in net and guano (a nitrogen-rich fertilizer) harvesting have caused a decline in the population. While guano harvesting is better managed, over exploitation is a serious threat to the Humboldt penguin population. El Nino in 1982 caused a 65% depletion of the Humboldt penguin off the coast of Peru. There are no known subspecies. They nest in burrows, caves or guano beds close to the sea. They can mate ay any time of year depending on food availability. They lay two similar sized eggs with a success rate of 0.5 to 1 chick per nest.. They can dive to a depth of 328 feet and their average swimming speed is 2.9 mph. Magellanic Penguin(Spheniscus magellanicus)
They are the largest of the banded or warm-weather penguins being 30 inches in length and weight range is between 9 and 15 pounds. They are distinguished by two bands, a narrower black horse-shaped band on the chest extending down to the flanks and thighs and a wider black band on the upper chest. They breed on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America, from Tierra del Fuego to 29 degrees S on the Pacific side and on the Atlantic side from Cape Horn to 42 degrees S and the Falkland Islands. They eat primarily fish and krill. There are no known subspecies.They lay two similar eggs with 70% to 80% of the chicks hatching or 1.35 chicks per nest. In South America they are protected from commercial fishing, but not so in the Falklands where their population in 2002-03 was 20% of the 1990-91 population. The population is stable but declining due to over fishing. The maximum dive is a depth of 295 feet and swim underwater at speeds up to 15 mph.
|
