Humboldt Penguins

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    In News 

    • Recently, Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo announced the addition of two new Humboldt penguin chicks this year. 

    About 

    • The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) belongs to a genus that is commonly known as the ‘banded’ group. 
    • They are medium-sized species among at least 17 species. 
    • They are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. 
      • They are so named because their habitat is located near the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterised by cold waters.
    • They have large, bare skin patches around their eyes, an adaptation to help keep them cool. 
    • Their breeding season in the wild is either March-April or September-October depending on the location of the colony. 
    •  The largest, the Emperor penguin, stands at over 4 ft tall while the Little penguin has a maximum height of 1 ft. 
      • Humboldt penguins have an average height of just over 2 ft.
    • The Humboldt is one of the most popular zoo penguins due to its ability to withstand warmer climates.
    • IUCN status : Vulnerable

                                                               Image Courtesy:ebird.org

    Penguins

    •  They are a family of 17 to 19 species of birds that live primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. 
    • They include the tiny blue penguins of Australia and New Zealand, the majestic emperor penguins of Antarctica and king penguins found on many sub- Antarctic islands, the endangered African penguin and the Galápagos penguin—the only penguin to be found north of the equator.
    • Penguins may not be able to fly across the sky, but they can fly underwater as well as any fish. Instead of wings, these birds have flippers that can propel their streamlined bodies up to 15 miles per hour through the sea in pursuit of a meal.
    • Penguins are divided into six genera.

    Image Courtesy:IE

     

    Source: IE

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