Galapagos penguin, Galápagos penguin
The Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus ) is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. It is the only penguin found north of the equator. Most inhabit Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island. The cool waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents allow it to survive despite the tropical latitude. The Galápagos penguin is one of the banded penguins, the other species of which live mostly on the coasts of Africa and mainland South America. It is one of the smallest species of penguin in the world. Because of their warm environment, Galápagos penguins have developed techniques to stay cool. The feathers on their back, flippers, and head are black, and they have a white belly and a stripe looping from their eyes down to their neck and chin. Each penguin keeps only one mate, and breeds year-round. Their nests are typically in caves and crevices as protection against predators and the harsh environment. The Galápagos penguin has a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, but due to predation, life expectancy in the wild could be significantly reduced.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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Flightless birdFlightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostri...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe smallest warm-weather penguin, this bird has black plumage with a white-colored frontal area as well as white spots around the body. The black head of the Galápagos penguin features white markings on both sides of the head, stretching down from above each eye, circling back, and descending to the neck. Below these head markings, the bird has a small collar of black-colored feathers, fading away towards the back. Then, below this black collar, the penguin has a white streak, extending across the length of the body, in both directions. And finally, the bird has a black band, stretching below and in parallel with the white streak. The feet of the Galápagos penguin are dark and the beak is slender.
These penguins inhabit the Galápagos Islands, off the western coast of Ecuador. The species is found along the coastlines of the Galápagos archipelago, but the highest concentration of the penguins is on Fernandina Island as well as the west coast of Isabela Island. These birds construct their nests in sheltered coastal areas. Galápagos penguins can be seen resting on both rocky and sandy beaches.
Due to the temperate waters of their range, Galápagos penguins are non-migratory, living in the same area throughout the year. They are social birds, gathering into large colonies, where they hunt together as well as find protection from predators. When the weather gets too hot, the penguins stretch out their flippers to cool off. In order to prevent their feet from getting sunburned on land, they usually hold their flippers over their feet, protecting them from direct rays. At the sunrise, these diurnal penguins leave their burrows, spending their time eating, socializing with members of their colony, caring for the chicks, and playing in the water. At the sunset, the birds return back to their burrows by marching.
These birds are carnivores (piscivores), consuming small marine invertebrates as well as all small species of fish, including mullets, sardines, pilchards, and anchovies.
These penguins have a monogamous mating system, forming lifelong pairs. Galápagos penguins mate all year round with a peak period, lasting from May to July. These birds typically build their nests in caves or volcanic-formed hollows, where the eggs can be protected from the sunlight. The female lays 1-2 eggs, which are incubated by both parents during 38-40 days. Meanwhile, if both eggs hatch, the parents will raise only a single chick. During the incubation period as well as after hatching, one of the parents stays with the eggs or hatchling, and the other leaves the nest to forage. For the first month of its life, the chick is cared by both parents, after which they leave the baby on its own, going to sea. Fledging occurs at about 60 days of age. Galápagos penguins are completely independent at 3-6 months old. Reproductive maturity is reached at 4-6 years old for males and at 3-4 years for females.
Galápagos penguins are exposed to global climate change. They are threatened by their natural predators as well as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which decreases the amount of shoaling fish, which, in turn, reduces reproduction success and brings starvation. In addition, the birds are occasionally drowned in fisheries and suffer from oil spills.
Presently, the population of Galápagospenguin is decreasing, being estimated at 1,200 mature individuals throughout the area of their habitat. For this reason, on the IUCN Red List, the species is classified as Endangered(EN).
Preying on a wide variety of marine organisms, these penguins control numbers of these species populations in the coastal waters of the Galápagos archipelago. In addition, these penguins are important prey species for other marine and avian predators of the area.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...