African Penguin

African Penguin Latest News

Recently, a new study found that over 60,000 African penguins starved to death between 2004 and 2011 after sardine stocks collapsed.

About African Penguin

• The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is a species of penguin that lives in southern African waters.
• It is flightless and adapted for a marine habitat. 
• Breeding: The species breeds naturally in burrows dug into guano (a natural substance composed of the excrement of birds, bats, and seals), which protects them from the extreme heat of their environment. 
• Appearance: It has a black stripe and a pattern of unique black spots on its chest, as well as pink glands above its eyes that become pinker as the penguin gets hotter.
• Penguins can lose almost half their body mass during their annual 21-day moult.
  • During this period, the birds come ashore, shed their feathers and cannot enter the water to feed.
• Habitat: It is usually found within 40 kilometers of the shore, coming onshore to a variety of coastal habitats to breed, molt, and rest.
• Distribution: It is mainly found along the coast of Namibia and the Atlantic coast of South Africa.
• Lifespan: Its average lifespan in the wild is 20 years.
• Threats: Global-warming-induced shifts in the marine and atmospheric environment are destructive to the African penguin’s habitat.
• Conservation Status:  IUCN: Critically Endangered

Source: DTE

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