When they think of penguins, most people imagine the beautiful black
birds waddling around an ice sheet in Antarctica (or an apartment in New
York City, for those fans of the movie Mr. Popper's Penguins). Few
people know that there are actually 7 species of penguins living in
South America, 3 of which are sadly endangered. The northernmost
penguins on the continent reside in the Galapagos Islands which lie off
the coast of Ecuador. South America's most famous species is the
Humboldt penguins, which live along the coasts of Peru and Chile.
However, the Pacific coast isn't the only place where penguins have
found a home. Magellanic penguins, Gentoo penguins and Southern
Rockhopper penguins are found in the Falkland Islands, a British
Overseas Territory and veritable penguin paradise off the east coast of
Argentina. Magellanic penguins can also be found on the mainland, on
both the west coast of Chile and the east coast of Argentina. The
Humboldt, Southern Rockhopper, and Macaroni penguins (which live at the
continent's southern tip) are all considered to be in peril. Take a
minute to learn about these marvellous species, what's threatening them
and how they're being preserved.
Humboldt penguins are the opposite of what you think a penguin
should be. They can reach a speedy 30 miles per hour when swimming
and hunting underwater. Their favourite fish to dine on is
anchovies, but unfortunately these are a rare delicacy nowadays due
to overfishing. Food is especially scare during El Nino phenomena,
when the warmer-than-normal oceans drive lots of species away.
Sadly, they're also threatened by humans. In 2012, it was estimated
that less than 10,000 Humboldt penguins existed in the wild, and
these numbers could possibly be as low as 3,000.
Magellanic penguin
Averaging heights of 24 to 30 inches, Magellanic penguins take their
name from Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who spotted the
species during his South American expeditions. These migratory
penguins are prolific on the continent and can be found in
Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands, on both the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. With typical black-and-white coloring, their
distinctive markings are in the black bands that form rings around
their white bellies and necks.
Southern Rockhopper penguin
The Falkland Islands hold over one third of the population of these
small but charismatic penguins. These curious creatures lay two eggs
in a shallow depression in a cliff; the first one is notably smaller
and if the baby hatches, it doesn't usually live. Outside of
breeding season, the penguins don't necessarily stick around the
islands. As migratory animals, some choose to stay relatively close
while others travel thousands of kilometres from April to October.
