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Penguins are all flightless aquatic birds and belong
to the family of
Spheniscidae in the order of Sphenisciformes.
There are 18 species worldwide, all of them in the
southern hemisphere and usually associated with the cold
Antarctic waters. But amazingly two species actually make it
right up to the equator. 0ne is the Galapagos Penguin, the
northernmost-ranging penguin and endemic to the islands and
featured on this page. Another one is a casual visitant from
Peru to the southwest Pacific coast of mainland Ecuador, the
Humboldt Penguin. |
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The Galapagos Penguin (photos were
taken on Bartolome) is the northern-most penguin
and endemic to the isles, where apart from Bartolome and
the nearby shore of Santiago island, it is mostly found on
Isabela and Fernandina, the western islands, where the
colder ocean current passes. By following that colder Humboldt stream,
which originates in Antarctica and flows northwards along the
South American coast, they landed on those
remote Pacific islands, straggling the equator. |
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Penguins feed mostly on fish but also take crustaceans and other
small sea animals.
Spending most of their time in cold waters diving for prey, the penguins underwent
profound changes. First it
gave up its flying abilities to develop that much better
features for diving.
Their wings adapted into stiff flippers, their main propulsion they
use underwater. Their bodies are streamlined with short stiff
tails and webbed feet, both used in steering and their bones
are not hollow anymore but solid so to have better buoyancy. Needing also no
more flight feathers but warm insulation against the cold,
they possess three layers of short and dense feathers,
looking already more like a fur than bird feathers. A thick layer of
fat underneath the skin insulates them furthermore
against cold water temperatures. |
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The Galapagos
Penguin is like all other penguins an excellent
swimmer, reaching speeds right up to 50km/h underwater,
which is needed in pursuit of fish. They are
also very agile underwater using their webbed feet for
quick and abrupt turns. On the surface, they paddle along with
their flipper-like wings. |
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Penguins nest
in large colonies, sometimes numbering in the high
thousands on Antarctica. There they lay usually 2 eggs
and both male and female incubate the egg, which must be in
most species protected against freezing temperatures. After
hatching both parents feed their chicks regurgitated food till
the young is ready to go to sea itself. The Galapagos Penguin
nests in small colonies on Fernandina and Isabela and
might brood twice in a year under good conditions. The
Humboldt Penguin also breeds in small colonies on the various
off-shore islets of Peru. Although penguins were hunted in the
past for their blabber and skin, their status is
fairly safe, mainly thanks due the remote locations of their
habitats. |
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ECUADORIAN SPECIES : |
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Name |
Scientific |
Location |
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Galapagos Penguin |
Spheniscus mendiculusi |
Galapagos (endemic) |
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Humboldt Penguin |
Spheniscus humboldti |
Southwest Pacific Coast |
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Birding Vocabulary |
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Avian Order: larger
unit (taxon) of birds which are related to each other in a wider
sense, latin names always end in -formes, e.g. penguins belong
to the
Sphenisciformes |
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Bird family:
taxon below order and a more tighter unit with closer
relationships, latin names always end in -idae, e.g. penguins
comprise the family of
Spheniscidae |
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