Emperor Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptes pachyrhynchus
- SIZE
- 61 cm (24 in.), 2.5-3 kg (6-7 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- subantarctic islands and New Zealand
- PREY
- small fishes, crustaceans, cuttlefish
- PREDATORS
- New Zealand fur seals, stoats (weasel relatives), weka (rail bird)
- POPULATION
- estimated 5,000 to 6,000 adults
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "vulnerable"; listed as "threatened" on the ESA; declining; nesting sites small, widespread and vulnerable to predation and human interference.
The distribution of emperor penguins is circumpolar on the Antarctic continent within limits of the pack ice.
King Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Aptenodytes patagonicus
- SIZE
- 94 cm (37 in.), 13.5-16 kg (30-35 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- subantarctic islands and peninsulas, usually forage in ice-free waters
- PREY
- squids, fishes
- PREDATORS
- leopard seals, skuas, giant petrels, gulls, sheathbills
- POPULATION
- about 2,000,000 adults
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "least concern"; population stable or increasing
King penguins are found on subantarctic islands and peninsulas. They usually forage for food in ice-free waters.
Adélie Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Pygoscelis adeliae
- SIZE
- 46-61 cm (18-24 in.), 3.5-4.5 kg (8-10 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- circumpolar on Antarctic continent within limits of pack ice
- PREY
- primarily krill, also squids and fishes
- PREDATORS
- leopard seals, skuas, sheathbills
- POPULATION
- estimated at about 2,370,000 breeding pairs
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "near threatened"; Adélie penguin populations are expected to decline, particularly in the northern part of their range, within the next few generations as a result of sea ice loss from climate change.
Adélie penguin distribution is circumpolar on the Antarctic continent within the limits of the pack ice.
Gentoo Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Pygoscelis papua
- SIZE
- 61-76 cm (24-30 in.), 5.5-6.5 kg (12-14 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- circumpolar in subantarctic and antarctic waters; avoids pack ice and continental coasts (except near the Antarctic Peninsula)
- PREY
- krill, squid
- PREDATORS
- skuas, leopard seals, antarctic fur seals, New Zealand sea lions, Southern sea lions
- POPULATION
- estimated 387,000 breeding pairs
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "near threatened"; some populations have experienced declines, overall population may be increasing.
Gentoo penguin distribution is circumpolar in subantarctic and Antarctic waters. They avoid pack ice and most continental coasts with the exception of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Chinstrap Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Pygoscelis antarcticus
- SIZE
- 46-61 cm (18-24 in.), 4 kg (9 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- antarctic and South American islands
- PREY
- krill, small fishes
- PREDATORS
- leopard seals, skuas, sheathbills
- POPULATION
- about 8,000,000 individuals
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "least concern"
Chinstrap penguins are found on Antarctic and South American islands.
Rockhopper Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- southern rockhopper, Eudyptes chrysocome northern rockhopper, Eudyptes moseleyi
- SIZE
- 41-46 cm (16-18 in.), 2.5 kg (5-6 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- subantarctic islands (southern rockhopper on the Falkland Islands and islands offshore of Chile and Argentina; northern rockhopper in the South Atlantic Ocean on Gough Island and islands in Tristan da Cunha and also in the southern Indian Ocean on Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands.
- PREY
- fishes, squids, krill
- PREDATORS
- New Zealand fur seals, New Zealand sea lions, Southern sea lions, skuas, gulls
- POPULATION
- about 1,230,000 southern rockhopper pairs and about 265,000 northern rockhopper pairs
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies the northern rockhopper as "endangered" and the southern rockhopper as "vulnerable"; populations of both species are declining.
Rockhopper penguins are found on subantarctic islands.
Royal Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptes schlegeli
- SIZE
- 66-76 cm (26-30 in.), 5.5 kg (12 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- Macquarie, Bishop, and Clerk Islands in the Southern Ocean
- PREY
- squids, krill
- PREDATORS
- New Zealand fur seals, skuas, giant petrels
- POPULATION
- about 850,000 breeding pairs; most of population on Macquarie Island
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "vulnerable"; populations recovering from earlier exploitation
Royal penguins are found on the Macquarie, Bishop and Clerk Islands in the Southern Ocean as well as around the New Zealand coast.
Erect-Crested Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptes sclateri
- SIZE
- 64 cm (25 in.), 2.5-3.5 kg (6-8 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- breed only on the Antipodes and Bounty Islands of New Zealand
- PREY
- probably squids, fishes
- PREDATORS
- possibly New Zealand sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, Australian sea lions
- POPULATION
- estimated 130,000 to 140,000 mature individuals
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "endangered"; listed as "threatened" on the ESA; populations are declining
Erect-crested penguins are found along the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and on the Antipodes and Bounty Islands.
Macaroni Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptes chrysolophus
- SIZE
- 51-61 cm (20-24 in.), 4.5 kg (10 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- subantarctic islands in the Atlantic and Indian oceans
- IDENTIFICATION
- A crest of orange plumes extends backwards
- Prey
- squids and krill
- Predators
- leopard seals, antarctic fur seals, skuas, sheathbills
- Population
- about 9 million breeding pairs
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "vulnerable"; listed as "threatened" on the ESA; declining; nesting sites small, widespread and vulnerable to predation and human interference.
Macaroni penguins are found on subantarctic islands in the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Fiordland Crested Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptes pachyrhynchus
- SIZE
- 61 cm (24 in.), 2.5-3 kg (6-7 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- subantarctic islands and New Zealand
- PREY
- small fishes, crustaceans, cuttlefish
- PREDATORS
- New Zealand fur seals, stoats (weasel relatives), weka (rail bird)
- POPULATION
- estimated 5,000 to 6,000 adults
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "vulnerable"; listed as "threatened" on the ESA; declining; nesting sites small, widespread and vulnerable to predation and human interference.
Fiordland crested penguins are found on subantarctic islands and New Zealand.
Snares Island Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptes robustus
- SIZE
- 64 cm (25 in.), 2.5-3 kg (6-7 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- south of New Zealand in the Snares Islands (all within 3 sq. km)
- PREY
- krill, squids, fishes
- PREDATORS
- New Zealand sea lions
- POPULATION
- about 62,000 mature penguins
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "vulnerable"; all individuals are in less than five locations.
Snares Island penguins are found south of New Zealand in the Snares Islands which encompasses just 3 square kilometers.
Yellow-Eyed Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Megadyptes antipodes
- SIZE
- 76 cm (30 in.), 6 kg (3 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- southeast New Zealand
- PREY
- fishes and squids
- PREDATORS
- New Zealand sea lions, domestic predators (prey on chicks)
- POPULATION
- estimated 5,930 to 6,970 mature individuals
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "endangered"; listed a "threatened" on the ESA; small breeding range and population numbers fluctuating and declining
Yellow-eyed penguins are found in southeast New Zealand.
Magellanic Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Spheniscus magellanicus
- SIZE
- 61-71 cm (24-28 in.), 5 kg (11 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- Falkland Islands and along the coasts of Chile and Argentina
- PREY
- small fishes, cuttlefish
- PREDATORS
- Southern sea lions, leopard seals, Patagonian foxes)
- POPULATION
- about 1,300,000 breeding pairsx
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "near threatened"; population has declined at Punta Tombo and in the Falkland Islands. Threats include overfishing by commercial fisheries and oil.
Magellanic penguins are found on the Falkland Islands and along the coasts of Chile and Argentina.
African Penguin (formerly Black-Footed Penguin)
- GENUS SPECIES
- Spheniscus demersus
- SIZE
- 61-71 cm (24-28 in.), 3 kg (7 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- South African waters
- PREY
- mostly anchovies, sardines but also other fishes, squids, and crustaceans
- PREDATORS
- South African fur seals, Southern sea lions, octopus, sharks, sacred ibis, gulls
- POPULATION
- about 52,000 adults
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN and the ESA classify this species as "endangered"; CITES lists in Appendix II (threatened); population decreasing; mainly threatened by overfishing by commercial fisheries and shifts in prey populations.
African penguins are found in South African waters.
Little Penguin (also known as Fairy or Little Blue Penguin)
- GENUS SPECIES
- Eudyptula minor
- SIZE
- 41–45 cm (16–19 in.), about 1 kg (2 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- southern Australia and New Zealand
- PREY
- small fishes
- PREDATORS
- Australian sea lions, fur seals, dogs, cats, stoats, ferrets
- POPULATION
- less than 1 million individuals in Australia
- CURRENT STATUS
- ESA lists the white-flippered species/subspecies as "threatened"; listed as "least concerned" by the IUCN
Little penguins are found along the coasts of southern Australia and New Zealand.
Humboldt Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Spheniscus humboldti
- SIZE
- 56-66 cm (22-26 in.), 4 kg (9 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- islands off western South America, and along the coasts of Peru and Chile
- PREY
- anchovetta (small fish)
- PREDATORS
- possibly sharks and Southern sea lions
- POPULATION
- approximately 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "vulnerable"; listed as "threatened" on the ESA; CITES lists in Appendix I (endangered); significant threats include overfishing of prey species, drowning in gill nets, illegal capture for consumption, use as bait, illegal capture for the pet trade, and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.
Humboldt penguins are found on islands off of western South America and along the coasts of Peru and Chile.
Galápagos Penguin
- GENUS SPECIES
- Spheniscus mendiculus
- SIZE
- 53 cm (21 in.), about 2.5 kg (5-6 lb.)
- DISTRIBUTION
- Galápagos Islands
- PREY
- small fishes
- PREDATORS
- sharks, eared barn owls, Galápagos hawk, feral cats, dogs
- POPULATION
- about 1,200 mature individuals
- CURRENT STATUS
- IUCN classifies this species as "endangered "; listed as endangered on the US Endangered Species List; increased human exploitation of the island contributes to habitat degradation and disturbances. This species has also suffered population declines as a result of ENSO events.
Galápagos penguins are found on the Galápagos Islands and off the coast of Ecuador on the equator.
