Three More African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus)
South Africa
Cape of Good Hope
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin, is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters.
It is also widely known as the "jackass" penguin for its loud, donkey-like bray, although several related species of South American penguins produce the same sound. Like all extant penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.
Adults weigh on average 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall. It has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask; the body upperparts are black and sharply delineate from the white underparts, which are spotted and marked with a black band. The pink gland above their eyes helps them to cope with changing temperatures.
When the temperature gets hotter, the body of the African penguin sends more blood to these glands to be cooled by the air surrounding it. This then causes the gland to turn a darker shade of pink.
The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, the African penguin is declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats and is classified as critically endangered. It is a charismatic species and is popular with tourists.
Fewer than 20,000 mature individuals, or about 10,000 breeding pairs, globally. Commercial fishing, oil pollution, oil spills, eaten by fur seals to name a few. – Wikipedia
Three More African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus)
South Africa
Cape of Good Hope
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin, is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters.
It is also widely known as the "jackass" penguin for its loud, donkey-like bray, although several related species of South American penguins produce the same sound. Like all extant penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.
Adults weigh on average 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall. It has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask; the body upperparts are black and sharply delineate from the white underparts, which are spotted and marked with a black band. The pink gland above their eyes helps them to cope with changing temperatures.
When the temperature gets hotter, the body of the African penguin sends more blood to these glands to be cooled by the air surrounding it. This then causes the gland to turn a darker shade of pink.
The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, the African penguin is declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats and is classified as critically endangered. It is a charismatic species and is popular with tourists.
Fewer than 20,000 mature individuals, or about 10,000 breeding pairs, globally. Commercial fishing, oil pollution, oil spills, eaten by fur seals to name a few. – Wikipedia