African penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae

IUCN Red List: EN (Endangered)

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Habitat

The African penguin is the only penguin species found in Africa, inhabiting the coastal regions of the southern part of the continent.

Information

Diet: carnivorous. Their diet consists primarily of fish—such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and herring—supplemented by squid and crustaceans.

Since they are less agile on land, they settle in hard-to-reach areas, such as shores protected by rocks. They are capable of swimming at speeds of up to 20 km/h and can cover 30–70 km during a single trip. In search of food, they can dive as deep as 30 meters.

It earns its Hungarian name (“spectacled penguin”) from the pink patches of skin above its eyes, which play a role in regulating body temperature. While swimming, its white belly deceives underwater predators, while its black back camouflages it from predatory birds above.

Chicks have grayish plumage; the characteristic adult black-and-white feathers develop over two years. They have been observed helping each other with preening, as they cannot easily reach the feathers on their own heads or necks. This mutual grooming keeps their feathers cleaner, rearranges them, and helps in the fight against parasites. They are threatened by oil spills, the depletion of their food sources due to overfishing, and guano mining, during which the birds were disturbed, leading to a significant decline in their population.