Penguin popularity
Emperor penguin
Adelie penguin
Named after explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville’s wife, Adele, these
penguins live on the Antarctic coast and can swim at speeds of up to 45
miles per hour. The birds are easily recognizable by the distinctive
white rings around their eyes and the fact that they’re mostly black
with a white belly — giving them an appearance close to the
stereotypical image of penguins.
Famous fowl
In 1911, explorer George Murray Levick observed the Adelie penguins'
breeding cycle and was shocked by their “sexual deviance.” Homosexual
acts, sexual abuse of chicks and attempts to mate with dead birds are
recorded in Levick's paper
"Sexual Habits of the Adelie Penguin," which was deemed too shocking
for publication and was only recently discovered by London's Natural
History Museum. Experts say the young penguins’ actions are due to
sexual inexperience.
Humboldt penguin
Humboldt penguins are native to Chile and Peru and nest on islands and
rocky coasts, often burrowing holes in guano. The birds’ numbers are
declining due to overfishing, climate change and ocean acidification,
and the animal is considered a vulnerable spcies. In 2010, Humboldt
penguins were granted protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Famous fowl
In 2009, two male Humboldt penguins at a German zoo adopted an
abandoned egg. After it hatched, the penguins raised the chick as their
own. In 2012, one of the 135 Humboldt penguins at the Tokyo Sea Life
Park in Japan scaled a 13-foot wall and escaped into Tokyo Bay, where it thrived for 82 days until it was recaptured.
Yellow-eyed penguin
Native to New Zealand, these birds may be the most ancient of all
living penguins, and they live long lives, with some individuals
reaching 20 years of age. Habitat destruction, introduced predators and
disease have caused the penguins’ numbers to drop to an estimated
population of 4,000. In 2004, a disease linked to a genus of bacteria
that causes diphtheria in humans, wiped out 60 percent of the
yellow-eyed penguins chicks on the Otago Peninsula. The species is
endangered.
Famous fowl
The yellow-eyed penguin, or Hoiho, appears on the New Zealand $5 note.
Chinstrap penguin
Chinstrap penguins are easily recognizable by the black bands under
their heads that give them the appearance of wearing helmets. They’re
found in Antarctica, the Sandwich Islands and other southern island
chains, where they live on barren islands and congregate on icebergs
during winter. Experts consider these birds to be the most aggressive
species of penguin.
Famous fowl
In 2004, two male chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo formed a
pair-bond and took turns trying to “hatch” a rock. A zookeeper later
substituted the rock with a fertilized egg, and Roy and Silo hatched and
raised the chick. A children’s book titled “And Tango Makes Three” was
written about the penguins.
African penguin
These penguins are native to southern Africa and are the only penguins
that breed on the continent. In fact, their presence is how the Penguin
Islands got their name. African penguins are also called “jackass
penguins” because of the donkey-like sounds they make. The species is
endangered, with fewer than 26,000 breeding pairs remaining.
Buddy and Pedro, two of the Toronto Zoo’s African penguins, made headlines in 2011 when zookeepers announced that the pair-bonded male birds would be separated in hopes they would mate with females.
King penguins
Little penguin
The smallest species of penguin, the little penguin grows to an average
height of 13 inches and can be found on the coasts of southern
Australia and New Zealand. With about 350,000 to 600,000 of the animals
in the wild, the species isn’t endangered; however, people still go to
great lengths to protect the birds from predation. In some parts of
Australia, Maremma sheepdogs have been trained to guard penguin
colonies, and in Sydney, snipers have been deployed to protect little
penguins from fox and dog attacks.
Famous fowl
Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux operating system, was once
pecked by a little penguin, which inspired him to use a penguin as the
Linux mascot.
Macaroni penguin
Galapagos penguin
This species of penguin is able to survive in the tropical climate of
the Galapagos Islands due to the cool temperatures from the Humboldt
Current. The third smallest species of penguin, the birds are
particularly vulnerable to predation, and with an estimated population
of around 1,500 birds, the species is endangered.
Famous fowl
As the only penguins in the world found north of the equator, all of the Galapagos penguins are famous in their own right.
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