MAGELLANIC PENGUINS (Spheniscus magellanicus)
SIZE:
- 24-28 in. (61-71 cm)
- 11 lb (5 kg)
THREAT LEVEL:
Near threatened
DISTRIBUTION:
- The Falkland Islands and the coastlines of Chile and Argentina
HABITAT:
Breeds in burrows where digging is possible, otherwise on the surface or under bushes. Colonies form in a variety of habitats from low forests to grassland to bare rocks, often on islands or headlands. Some colonies on the Argentinean side number several hundreds of thousands of pairs.
MARKINGS:
Two brown chest stripes. Humboldt Penguins lack the second dark breast band found in Magellanic Penguins and have more extensive areas of bare facial skin. However, as both of these characters are subject to individual variation and hybrids do occur, not every bird might be identifiable.
NEST TYPE:
- Burrows or under bushes
PREY:
- Cuttlefish, small fishes like anchovies and sardines
PREDATORS:
- Southern sea lions, leopard seals, Patagonian foxes
POPULATION ESTIMATE:
- 1.3 million pairs
Sources:
http://www.penguins.cl/penguins-species.htm
http://www.penguinworld.com/types/adelie.html
noaa.org
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