Close-up of two African penguins, at the New England Aquarium, Boston
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Adults weigh an average of – kg (– lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall. The species has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask. The body's upper parts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts, which are spotted and marked with a black band. The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, the African penguin is declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats and is classified as endangered. It is a charismatic species and is popular with tourists. Other vernacular names of the species include black-footed penguin and jackass penguin, due to the species' loud, donkey-like noise[3] (although several related species of South American penguins produce the same sound). They can be found along the coast of South Africa and Namibia.
Size: 4248px × 3744px
Location: New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: african, aquarium, bird, boston, close-, demersus, encloseure, england, penguin, penguins, pool, spheniscus
