The African Penguin lives on the southwest coast of Africa. It is also known as the Black-footed Penguin and is the only species of penguin to breed in Africa.
Pink glands around the eyes become darker or lighter depending on how hot the bird is feeling. The black and white plumage of these and other penguins provides camouflage for the bird when it is swimming. The black top and white bottom help the birds evade underwater predators. African Penguins are considered threatened due to egg poaching and habitat destruction or disruption. African Penguins also breed in a relatively small area, leaving the entire population vulnerable to any threat to their breeding grounds.
Pierre is a famous captive African Penguin who was given a custom penguin wetsuit to protect his skin where he experienced feather loss. In time the bald spots were restored.
The African Penguin is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2015 by BirdLife International. This species is classified as Endangered because it is undergoing a very rapid population decline, probably as a result of commercial fisheries and shifts in prey populations. This trend currently shows no sign of reversing, and immediate conservation action is required to prevent further declines.
If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr) of the African Penguin. African Penguins breed colonially, like most other penguin species. They use burrows or natural depressions on a rocky surface... Read more »
A new bird recently added to Birdorable is the African Penguin. The African Penguin lives on the southwest coast of Africa. The species is also called Black-footed Penguin and is the only species of penguin to breed in Africa. African Penguins have pink glands around their eyes... Read more »
