Humboldt Penguin [Chester Zoo, Chester, Cheshire, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom, Europe]. .
Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. The number of penguin species is debated. Depending on which authority is followed, penguin biodiversity varies between 17 and 20 living species, all in the subfamily Spheniscinae. Some sources consider the White-flippered Penguin a separate Eudyptula species, while others treat it as a subspecies of the Little Penguin; the actual situation seems to be more complicated. Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere they are not, contrary to popular belief, found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. The Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) (aka Peruvian Penguin, or Patranca) is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Peru and Chile. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Galápagos Penguin. The penguin is named after Alexander von Humboldt, a naturalist and explorer who first described the animal to the scientific community. Humboldt Penguins are medium-sized penguins, growing to 65-70 cm (26-28 in) long and a weight of kg ( lbs). They have a black head with a white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, to join on the throat. They have blackish-grey upperparts and whitish underparts, with a black breast-band extending down the flanks to the thigh. They have a fleshy-pink base to the bill. Juveniles have dark heads and no breast-band. Humboldt Penguins nest on islands and rocky coasts, burrowing holes in guano and sometimes using scrapes or caves. The current status of this penguin is vulnerable, due to a declining population caused in part by over-fishing. Historically it was the victim of guano over-exploitation. Penguins are also declining in numbers due to habitat destruction. The current population is estimated between 3,300 & 12,000. This photograph is part of the Imagine Collection, hosted by Alamy.
Size: 3348px × 5022px
Location: Chester Zoo, Chester, Cheshire, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom, Europe. .
Photo credit: © Al Pidgen / Imagine Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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