About
Range:
Sandy, rocky shorelines in South Africa
Habitat:
Hot sandy areas near the ocean
When you picture penguins, you imagine snow and ice, not sandy beaches, right? That is almost always the case! However, the pint-sized African penguin Spheniscus demersus is one of the few penguin species that is not found in a cold environment. They live in the warm coastal areas of southern Africa and on some surrounding islands. One of the African penguin's most distinctive features is a small pink gland above each eye, which helps them cope with high temperatures in South Africa. The hotter the penguin gets, the more blood is sent to these glands where it is cooled by the surrounding air, and keeps the animal cooler. The glands have a pinker appearance the hotter it gets.
Black and white and cute all over
While the African penguin may not be found in freezing temperatures, they are covered in an array of black, white, and gray dense, waterproof feathers that keep them dry and warm in the cold waters off the African coast. They also have a number of dot-like markings flecked across their white chests. These flecks help to individualize each penguin, as each penguin's feather pattern is as individual as a human's fingerprints. The animal has a distinct sharply pointed beak and black feet. The African penguin is one of the smallest species. Males are generally slightly larger than their female counterparts.
Penguin digs
African penguins can be found in large colonies along the southwestern rocky coast of Africa from Namibia to Port Elizabeth, and many of the surrounding islands. The largest colony is located on Dyer Island.
Home is where the guano Is
The birds build nests out of their own excrement, called guano, under bushes or rocks. This shelter provides them protection from the harsh sun during the hot African days.
A day in the life
African Penguins are a diurnal species that is found to be most active during dawn and dusk. So technically, it is a crepuscular species. During their active time, they can be found swimming and hunting in the sea. While on land, they primarily gather at their nesting sites.
Now you see me, now you don't
The African penguin's small stature leaves it vulnerable to predation on land and in the sea. Marine predators consist of sharks, fur seals, and sea gulls. While at sea, the penguin depends on its distinct coloring to elude predators. The light color of their bellies allow them to camouflage with the light surface, when predators look from below; and its dark back blends in with the darkness of the sea, so predators lurking above cannot see them as easily. Once back on land, adult penguins are less vulnerable to predators, but their offspring and eggs are often preyed upon by birds, mongoose, snakes, and leopards.
What's for supper?
African penguins are fast swimmers, allowing them to catch a variety of prey from the sea, including sardines and anchovies, as well as squid and crustaceans. A penguin may eat up to 1 pound of food or 14 percent of its body weight per day. At the Zoo, our penguins enjoy sardines, capelin, and night smelt. They swallow their fish whole and prefer to be hand fed!
Can you hear me now?
African penguins communicate with one another through vocalizations and body language. Each individual has its own unique vocalization that distinguishes it from the others. They use three different types of calls: a bray, used to attract a mate; the yell, used to defend their territory; and the haw, used by mates to locate each other when one is on land and one is at sea. When a penguin is feeling aggressive, it communicates through body language. It puffs out its chest, holds its wings back, its beak forward, and bobs its head side to side.
All In the penguin family
African penguins reach sexual maturity around four years of age. At this time, the male will court the female with a donkey-like bray. Who can resist? (This call also earned them the nickname jackass penguin.) Once accepted by the female, the pair will continue to bond for the rest of their lives. The female digs a burrow under a bush or a rock where she lays two eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for up to 40 days. Once the chicks hatch, the parents share the responsibility of keeping the chicks warm and fed constantly for the first 30 days. Once they reach a month old, the chicks are left for short periods with other chicks while their parents hunt for food. The chicks huddle together in large "nursery groups" to keep warm and help protect each other from predators. The juveniles leave the colony when they are around four months of age and have developed their juvenile plumage.
Up with down!
Penguins have more feathers than any other bird species. This dense plumage is a waterproof layer that keeps the bird's skin dry even while it spends hours swimming in cold ocean waters. African penguins molt once a year, a process that lasts for about 20 days. During the molt, penguins do not swim or eat, and can lose almost half of their body weight.
Fun Fact
African penguins are believed to be one of the first penguin species to be discovered by humans. These hearty little penguins can hold their breath over 2 minutes and dive over 400 feet deep!
At the Zoo
You'll find the penguins in the Children's Zoo, in a pool with underwater viewing. Sometimes they are off exhibit during construction phases that may be disruptive to them.
Conservation
African penguins are one of the most endangered types of penguin. Their numbers have declined by 60 percent in the last 15 years. The pair at the Zoo are just the beginning of a large flock that we hope to have over the next couple of years, and start breeding this species. It is important for people to learn about this endearing species.
