African Penguin
Spheniscus demersus
Aves
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Stats
- Lifespan
- 10-15 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Colony
- Biome
- Coastal marine
- Range
- Southern Africa
- Movement
- Swimming
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Camouflage
- Status
- Critically Endangered
About
The African penguin, also known as the Cape penguin, is a flightless bird found in southern African waters. It is the only penguin found in the Old World, with a distinctive pink patch of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
- 2.hatchlingA naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
- 3.juvenileA feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
- 4.adultFully grown with adult plumage.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Sphenisciformes
- Family
- Spheniscidae
- Genus
- Spheniscus
- Species
- Spheniscus demersus