Humboldt Penguin
Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) stand 15 to 18 inches tall
and weigh an average of 9 pounds. They eat fish and squid in the wild;
at the zoo, they enjoy smelt or herring. Unlike their Emperor penguin
counterparts, who swim the icy waters of Antarctica, these penguins are
at home in the warm waters of coastal Peru. They are very agile in the
water and can swim at speeds of up to 30 mph.
Humboldt penguins breed year-round and their eggs incubate for 40 days
before hatching. The young penguins eat food regurgitated from their
parents and try swimming for the first time at about 3 months. Of the
17 penguin species, Humboldt penguins are the most threatened. With nearly
30 penguins, the Oregon Zoo has one of the largest collections of Humboldts
in the country.
Meet Crash, Yellow
Left, and Bonita, three of the zoo's Humboldt penguins.
Just the
Facts About Humboldt Penguins
scientific
name
Spheniscus humboldti
size
Feathers.
~.83"
Height. 15-18"
Weight. 9 lbs.
characteristics
Bones.
solid (as opposed to hollow bones in flying birds) • act as ballast
while diving
Feathers. 2 layers • top layer lies flat & overlaps to stop
wind & water • bottom layer "downy" for warmth
Feeding. speed (can swim 30 mph) • agile in water
Feet. webbed • serve as rudder • claws at end for climbing
Insulation. 80% due to feathers • 20% due to blubber
Molting. catastrophic (all feathers at once) • July-Sept •
~10 days
Mouth/Tongue. backward-pointed spines hold fish
Skeleton. similar to flying birds • large keel attaches muscles
• wings flattened like oars
Wings. adapted to flippers for "flying" through water •
flattened like oars
reproduction/life span
Breeding.
any time of year
Nest. caves • under protected areas
Eggs. 1-3 (average 2) • incubate 40 days
Young. eat regurgitated food • try swimming ~3 mos.
diet
Wild. fish
& squid
Zoo. smelt or herring injected with vitamins
habitat/range
coastal
islands • Peru & Chile • found only in southern Hemisphere
status
CITES App
I • SSP • studbook
oregon
zoo exhibit
Penguinarium
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