Magellanic Penguins

Size and Looks

Magellanic penguins, like most penguins, are mostly black and white. These little penguins have a black back and a white belly. These traits are used for countershading while swimming. If you were swimming under a Magellanic penguin you would see its white belly and since the sun makes the water look lighter closer to the surface the penguins white belly would be hard to see compared to if it were black because white is a lighter color. This is the same with the back of the penguin except you would be looking down and it would be with darker colors like black. What makes them look different compared to related penguin species is they have two black bands on their chest and neck. They also have a white arc that rises up to their neck and then back down to their feet and white band that curves from the top of their eyes down to the arc of white on the neck. Magellanic penguins have streamlined bodies and webbed feet for swimming faster and better. They are the largest species from the genus Spheniscus. Other species include Galapagos penguins, Humboldt penguins, and African penguins.

Environment

The penguins live mostly on the coast of Argentina, Chile, and The Falkland Islands but in the winter they migrate higher north to places like Peru and Brazil. To get there Magellanic penguins will swim many miles of the coast and for some this journey will be about 4,000 mile.

Diet

Magellanic penguins eat mostly small fish and crustaceans. In the fish category they particularly eat Anchovies, Sardines, and Sprats. In the Crustacean category they eat mostly Squid, Krill, and Cuttlefish. The Magellanic may eat other fish and crustaceans that aren't as common as the animals listed above. When they are hunting they will swim around 80 km off the coast and they always stay in their flock. They can swim up to 25 km per hour and will dive as far as 75 meters to catch their food. While swimming they swallow a lot of salt water so to get it out of their body they have special glands near their eyes to excrete the salt.

Communication

Magellanic penguins are very vocal and have a few very distinctive calls that include display calls, breeding calls, and fighting calls. A display call is called braying. This is because the call sounds similar to a donkey’s hee-haw which is also called a brey.

Breeding

The breeding season for Magellanic penguins is through September to late April. Magellanic penguins go to the same breeding grounds to where they were born. These breeding grounds are mostly in coastal forest and coastal grasslands. Here they make their nests called burrows. They make little holes in the ground and use shrubs and other vegetation to make the nest. These nests are usually sheltered by some sort of plant or bush. Male penguins will go to the breeding groups first to build or claim a burrow. Then a few days later the female penguins will come and find a partner. Male Magellanic penguins mating rituals are to quickly walk circles around the female and desperately whack the female lightly with its flippers. Once a male finds a mate they will breed. Females will lay up to two eggs. The parents will take turns incubating the eggs for about a week while the spouse will go get food and restore their body fat. The incubation will last about 40 days.

Chicks

Once the eggs hatch the parents will also take turns going and getting food for the babies for 2-3 days while the other keeps watch of the babies. The first hatched baby is usually bigger because it is fed more than the second and usually one baby dies unless there's an over abundance of food. After 2-16 months, depending on the food supply, the babies will start to grow their waterproof feathers. These chicks with waterproof feathers are called fledglings. Fledglings don’t get any more parental care and usually join a flock with other fledglings and young adults.

Predators

Magellanic penguin chicks are preyed on by Kelp Gulls, Lesser Grisons, and Large Hairy Armadillos. On land adult penguins are hunted by Foxes, Pampa Cats, Pumas, and Giant Petrels. Although in the ocean they are hunted by Leopard Seals, Large Fur Seals, and Killer Whales. When it rains a lot in the Magellanic penguins habitat the burrows may flood and drown chicks in the burrows.

Threats

These penguins face many dangers. Oil pollution is one of them. It is estimated that oil pollution is responsible for more than 20,000 adult penguins and 22,000 juvenile penguins between 1980 and 1990. Fisheries are another reason why Magellanic penguins are dying. The fisheries over fish making it hard for penguins and other animals to find food. Penguins are also dying because of gill nets. A gill net is a wall of net that is put vertical under the water and is used to tangle fish by catching them by the fish's gill and then tangling them. Unfortunately other animals including these penguins also get stuck in them.

Conservation

There are and have been many efforts to save these penguins. In 2015 UNESCO preserved land on the Argentinian coast just for these penguins. Now this land holds the largest colony of Megellanic penguins in the world. There have been many other efforts to save these amazing creatures and there are plenty of neat organizations that you can donate to to help the Magellanic penguins.

Sources

LaMarre, Victoria. “Spheniscus Magellanicus (Magellanic Penguin).” Animal Diversity Web, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Spheniscus_magellanicus/.

“Magellanic Penguin Facts You'll Never Forget.” Free Ideas For Family Fun & Learning, https://kidadl.com/animal-facts/magellanic-penguin-facts.

“Magellanic Penguin, Facts and Photos.” Animals, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/magellanic-penguin.

“Magellanic Penguin.” Oceanwide Expeditions, https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/to-do/wildlife/magellanic-penguin.

Pacific, Aquarium of the. “Magellanic Penguins.” June Keyes Penguin Habitat | Aquarium of the Pacific, https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/exhibits/penguin_habitat/magellanic_penguins.

Fisheries, NOAA. “Fishing Gear: Gillnets.” NOAA, 22 Feb. 2021, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/bycatch/fishing-gear-gillnets.

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