Humboldt Penguins

The Humboldt Penguin is a member of the banded group of penguins.

Common Name: Humboldt Penguin; Peruvian Penguin

Scientific name: Spheniscus humboldti

Population: 16,000 breeding pairs

Weight and height: 4.2 kg – 5.0 kg, 67 cm – 72 cm

Lifespan: 12-15 years

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Population Trend: Decreasing

Geographic Breeding Range: Chile; Peru

Prey/diet: Anchovies, silversides, jack mackerel, Patagonian squid, Southern Ocean squid, Humboldt squid, crustaceans

Humboldt Penguins
Photo Credit: Martin Franklin, ZSL London Zoo

Humboldt Penguins
Photo Credit: Tim Vickers

Distinguishing physical characteristics: Head is black with a thin white band extending from above the eye, down each side of the head to the throat and running further down the sides of the body to the legs. A single wide black band runs in an upside-down U shape across the breast and down to the legs. Black spots are scattered across the breast. Bill is black with a gray vertical stripe. Bare pink patches of skin are present at the base of the bill and extend to the eyes. Legs and feet are black, eye is reddish brown.

Interesting tidbit about Humboldt Penguins: Humboldt Penguin populations were first devastated by the mining of guano deposits for use as fertilizer, in which the species prefers to nest.