Humboldt Penguin

"They have spines on the tongue of the palate to hold slippery fish securely."

Discover in real life
Humboldt PenguinSpheniscus humboldti

  • Habitat

    coast of Chile and Peru

  • Food

    fish and squid

  • Lifetime

    15 to 20 years

  • Weight

    4 to 5 pounds

  • Length

    66 to 70 cm

  • Number of eggs

    2

  • Incubation time

    40 to 42 days

  • IUCN Status

    fragile

  • EEP?

    yes

  • 17

    different penguin species there are in the world

  • 15

    minutes I can stay underwater without breathing

  • 12

    kilometers per hour I can swim

    • Litter of poop

    Humboldt penguins remain faithful to one partner their entire lives. They lay 1 to 2 eggs at a time, which they prefer to incubate in a pit they have dug themselves in a thick layer of dried bird droppings.

    Help, I'm going bald!

    Once a year, the old feathers are replaced by new ones: moulting. During the five weeks of moulting, the plumage is not waterproof, so they cannot hunt for fish. That is why they eat extra much in the weeks before moulting.

    Want to know more about IUCN status or the EEP? Click here.