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Magellanic Penguin
The Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil. It is the most numerous of the Spheniscus penguins. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Humboldt Penguin and the Galapagos Penguin.
Physical description
Magellanic Penguins are medium-sized Penguins, adults are black and white in color, growing to 70-76 cm (28-30 in) tall and a weight of 3kg - 6kg (males larger than females).
Adult's have black backs and white stomachs, with two black bands between the head and the breast, the lower in an inverted horseshoe shape, their black head has a broad white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, to join on the throat. Chicks and juveniles are a grey-blue color on the back, with a faded grey=blue color on their chest. Life span in the wild is up to 25 years and up to 30 years in captivity.
Young birds usually have a blotched pattern on their feet, with this 'blotching' fading as they age. Older birds (10+ years) usually have solid black feet.
Like the other species of Penguins, the Magellanic Penguin has very rigid wings used to 'fly' under water.
Diet
Magellanic penguins feed in the water, preying on cuttlefish, sardines, squid, krill, and other crustaceans. Since they take in sea water with their prey, a salt-excreting gland has evolved to filter out the salt.
==Behavior and reproduction==
Magellanic penguins travel in large flocks when hunting for food. In the breeding season, these birds gather in large nesting colonies at the coasts of Argentina, Southern Chile, and the Falkland Islands, having 20 nests per 100 square meters. Nests are built under bushes or in burrows. Two eggs are laid. Often both, but sometimes only one is raised through adulthood. Incubation lasts 39-42 days, which the parents share in 10-15 day shifts. The chicks are cared for by both parents for 29 days, and fed every 2-3 days.
Status in the wild
Millions of these penguins still live on the coasts of Chile and Argentina, but the species is classified as "Near Threatened," primarily due to the vulnerability of large breeding colonies to oil spills, which kill 20,000 adults and 22,000 juveniles every year off the coast of Argentina. The decline of fish populations is also responsible, as well as predators including sea lions and giant petrels, which prey on both the chicks and the adults.
Interestingly,these penguins mate with the same partner year after year. Males reclaim the burrow from the previous year and wait to reconnect with their female partners. The females are able to recognize their mates through their call alone.
See also
Punta Tombo
Penguin
References
Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened
Video/Multimedia
Video - Magellanic Penguin chicks at the San Francisco Zoo
Video - March of the Penguin chicks at the San Francisco Zoo
External links
Magellanic penguins from the International Penguin Conservation Web Site
Penguin World: Magellanic penguin
www.pinguins.info: information about all species of penguins
A confused Magellanic penguin strays 5000km off course
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Magellanic Penguin
