The African penguin (or Spheniscus demersus) is a flightless bird that inhabits the coastline and islands of South Africa and Namibia.
The African penguin has a black back and flippers, black feet and a black face ‘mask’ with white surround. It also has a white torso with a black strap across the upper chest. The eyes of the African penguin are surrounded by pink patches which are used in thermoregulation. Each penguin has a unique pattern of black spots on its chest.
African penguins are 60cm to 68cm tall and weigh between 2.2kg and 3.5kg. Males are slightly larger than females and have a longer beak.
African penguins are social animals and when not foraging at sea, they live in extremely large colonies of many thousands of mated pairs.
Enrichments
Food-Based Enrichments
Bamboo Feeder
Block of Frozen Fish
Habitat Enrichments
Curio Ball
Submarine Buoy
Water Hoop
Platform Floats
Sprinkler
Bubble Blower - Airstone
Tennis Ball
Conservation Topics
Ocean Ecosystem Ambience
Crepuscular Behaviour
Food Scarcity
Climate Change
Invasive Species
Piscivore Diet
Bird Evolution
African Penguin Fact Sheet
Swimming Animals
Lives of Birds Talk
Pollution
African Penguin Name Plate
Lifecycle
African penguins are social animals and when not foraging at sea, they live in extremely large colonies of many thousands of mated pairs.
African penguins come ashore during their breeding season, which takes place in Summer (Namibia) or Autumn (South Africa). Males arrive 4 days before females and use this time to locate and build a nest site from pebbles, guano and other debris. African penguins typically mate for life, previously mated pairs will locate each other with specific calls while unattached males attempt to attract females with vocalisations, neck swinging displays and showing off their nest site. A pair solidifies their bond by vocalising together and entwining their necks.
The female lays 2 eggs in the nest 3 weeks after mating, which the pair will incubate for 40 days, taking turns to hunt during this time. After hatching, chicks are extremely vulnerable and are often preyed upon by mongooses, gulls or domestic cats. In 90% of cases, only 1 chick will survive to fledging age. The parents protect and feed their chick until 2 to 4 months old. Then, they join a communal creche that is watched over by adults.
Chicks fledge at approximately 4 months old when they first go to sea. Penguins return to their place of birth every year to moult and breed. African penguins are fully grown at 3 years old and reproduce for the first time at 4 to 5 years old.
Colourmorphs
Brown Morph
Part Leucistic
Albino
Statistics
Litter Size
1-1
Gestation / Incubation Period
0 months
Interbirth Period
12 months
Reproduction Difficulty
Easy
Age Of Sexual Sterility
14 years
Age Of Sexual Maturity
5 years
Juvenile5 years
Adult9 years
Elderly16 years
Animal Facts
African penguin eggs were seen as a delicacy up until the 1970s; this contributed to the species’ decline.
African penguins are preyed upon by sharks and fur seals in the ocean and kelp gulls, mongoose, cape genets and domestic cats and dogs on land.
The African penguin is also known as the Jackass penguin due to its donkey-like cry.
Penguin faeces, called guano, is an extremely effective fertiliser, but humans harvesting it disturbs the nest sites of African penguins and removes one of the main materials penguins use to build their nests.
African penguins cannot hunt while moulting as their feathers are not yet waterproof, so they fast until their plumage has fully grown in. Moulting takes 3 weeks and penguins lose 50% of their bodyweight in this time.
Conservation
African penguins are Critically Endangered, reflecting the rapid and ongoing decline of their population numbers, due to a combination of human and environmental causes. Overfishing of primary food species like sardines and anchovies limits available food. Coastal development and pollution, particularly oil spills, have severely impacted their breeding sites. Historically, their eggs were heavily poached. Climate change further threatens their survival by altering ocean currents and reducing prey populations.
Conservation focuses on habitat protection, prey sustainability, and reducing human impact. Rescue and rehabilitation of injured or oiled penguins, as well as a newly established captive breeding and rewilding program aim to boost population numbers. Marine protected areas (MPA) limit fishing near colony grounds. Artificial burrows are provided at breeding sites, as guano harvesting has destroyed their natural nesting habitats. Awareness campaigns and ecotourism promote and fund conservation work.
Despite these efforts, African penguin numbers continue to decline at an alarming rate, and further action is needed to secure the future of this species.
Native Range
Africa
Statistics
Wild Population
19,800
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Valid Release Group Types
Mixed Group
Breeding Partners
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Planet Zoo 2 is in active development and the Zoopedia reflects this work in progress. Text, images, stats etc. are not necessarily final and may change or be expanded upon.
Bamboo Feeder
Block of Frozen Fish
Curio Ball
Submarine Buoy
Water Hoop
Platform Floats
Sprinkler
Bubble Blower - Airstone
Tennis Ball
