The African Penguin is a member of the banded group of penguins. They are also known as the Black-footed Penguin and the Jackass Penguin (from the braying sound they make).
Common Name: African Penguin; Black-footed Penguin; Jackass Penguin
Scientific name: Spheniscus demersus
Population: 15,000 breeding pairs
Weight and heights: 3.0 kg – 3.3 kg, 60 cm
Lifespan: 20 years
Conservation status: Endangered
Population Trend: Decreasing
Geographic Breeding Range: Namibia; South Africa
Prey/diet: Anchovy, sardines, bearded goby (in Namibia), horse mackerel, juvenile hake, redeye, and less commonly cephalopods and crustaceans
African Penguin
Photo source: Matti Blume [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
Distinguishing physical characteristics: Black face and nape with white supercilium stripe that runs around the back of the face and connects at the throat and breast. A single black stripe (rarely, two black stripes) run up the sides of the body and across the upper breast. A patch of naked pink skin lies above the eye, which may be feathered white immediately after molt. A unique pattern of blacks spots on its abdomen. The bill is black with a vertical pale band near the tip. Eyes are brown; legs and feet are black with spots of pink.
African Penguin Range Map
African Penguin
population trends:
African Penguin Conservation Status:
Endangered
Get more penguin information at the links below
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![Matti Blume [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/African_penguin%2C_Cape_Town_%28P1050585%29.jpg){kind=link}