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Humboldt Penguins
 | Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti)
The Humboldt penguin, sometimes called the Peruvian penguin, breeds in the west coast of South America in Chile and Peru, from around Isla Foca in Peru to around Algarroba in Chile and breeds in other colonies further south on the Punihuil Islands. It is related to the African, Magellanic and Galapagos penguins, spheniscus penguins distinguished by black bands stretching from under their chins down either side of their stomachs. There are about 12,000 breeding pairs in the world of which about two thirds are in Chile and the rest in Peru. It is very timid no doublt due to human influence.
The Humboldt penguin is named after Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander von Humboldt, born 1769, Prussian (german) naturalist, geologist and explorer. He died in 1859 aged 90. He also, sadly, alerted Europeans to the value of guano as fertiliser!
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Humboldt Penguins - Physical Characteristics
 | Physical characteristics
The Humboldt is similar to the Magellanic penguin and their territories overlap.
The Humboldt penguin is about 65-70cm, (26-27 inches) tall and weighs about 3-5kg (7-11lb). It is similar to the other spheniscus penguins except that it has only one thick white band under its throat instead of two and its beak is bigger than that of magellanic penguins. Its eyes are pink. In captivity they can live as long as 30 years and up to 20 years in the wild. Like other penguins they have a unique call recognized by chicks and mates. They have a special gland that allows them to drink sea-water and remove the salt from their blood and excrete it as a concentrated salt solution from their beak. They also drink fresh water.
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Humboldt Penguins - Breeding
 | Breeding
Humboldts can start to breed at 2 years old and usually return to their same partner and nest site each year. Humboldt penguins have two main periods of egg laying from April to May and September to October depending on the geographic region, and can breed twice in a season if food supply and weather permit.
Like other spheniscus penguins Humboldts like to create nests in burrows which they excavate in the earth, but will breed in holes in rocks, in shallow scrapes and under bushes. Two equal sized eggs are laid with 2 to 4 days between though 3 eggs have been recorded. Incubation lasts 40-42 days with both parents incubating the eggs. Chicks are fed each day, with the time spent by the adults at sea increasing as the chicks grow bigger, and with the chicks safe in their burrows, both parents can forage and at this time forage up to 35km from the shore. If food is short the smaller chick will die. During the winter when they are not breeding they may swim as far as a few hundred metres from shore.
Chicks are grey with whitish tummies and fledge when they are about 10-12 weeks old. At this stage they do not have the black stripe down their sides that the adults have. They can then go to sea to feed for several months.
Chicks do not go into crèches as do other penguins as they are fairly safe in their burrows and stay close to their nests.
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Humboldt Penguins - Moulting
 | Moulting
After their second brood of chicks has fledged the adults go to sea for about 2 weeks to fatten up then return to their nest sites in January or February to moult for about 3 weeks. After this the birds go to sea again to feed and build up condition then return again to their nest sites to breed again.
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Humboldt Penguins - Diet
 | Diet
Humboldt penguins eat fish, anchovies, herring, smelt, squid, krill and other crustaceans and feeds close to shore. They usually seek for food at depths of less then 60m, sometimes among seaweed beds but can dive as deep as 150m. They can swim at 20mph (32kph), using flippers to propel them and feet and tail to steer. They can see well under water.
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Humboldt Penguins - Threats
 | Threats
It is seriously endangered and expected to become extinct within a few decades due to over-fishing of its diet by humans, removal of guano for commercial gain with consequent loss of nest sites and getting caught up in fishing nets and lines. In the 1970s over-fishing of the Peruvian anchovy, which was a main part of the Humboldt’s diet led to a population crash. Eggs may be lost from flooding of the nest in sea storms or by predatory gulls or by nests being abandoned due to disturbance. On land predators are gulls, vultures, cara caras, and foxes and introduced species such as cats and dogs. From the sea are fur seals and orcas. Penguins are also still killed for food and to cut up for fishing bait. Eggs are also taken.
The habitat of the Humboldt penguin, like the Galapagos penguin is particularly vulnerable to El Nino. During El Nino years the cool, nutrient rich waters flowing north from the Antarctic regions are replaced by warm poorer waters from the Central Pacific. This means that the phytoplankton loose function and the rest of the food chain which depends on them crashes. The penguins can starve and stop breeding. El Nino also causes severe weather, heavy rain and flooding when the nesting sites can be washed out and chicks, eggs and penguins are lost.
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Humboldts - short tailed birds
 | Humboldts – short tailed penguins
In the picture above you can see the relatively short tail the Humboldt penguin has compared with the pygoscelis penguins like the gentoo, adelie and chinstrap.
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