Species group · Birds

Penguins

WAnimals has 15 species of penguin, all in the family Spheniscidae.

15 species

1 family

27 countries

74 parks

Weight: 1.1 kg – 45 kg
Length: 30 cm – 1.3 m
Lifespan: 10 – 30 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 15.

All 15 species of penguins on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

King Penguin

Aptenodytes patagonicus

12 countries6 parks1 dive site

Magellanic Penguin

Spheniscus magellanicus

10 countries6 parks3 dive sites

Emperor Penguin

Aptenodytes forsteri

6 countries10 parks

Humboldt Penguin

Spheniscus humboldti

2 countries6 parks2 dive sites

Gentoo Penguin

Pygoscelis papua

6 countries17 parks3 dive sites

Chinstrap Penguin

Pygoscelis antarcticus

7 countries12 parks1 dive site

Macaroni Penguin

Eudyptes chrysolophus

11 countries10 parks

Adelie Penguin

Pygoscelis adeliae

6 countries21 parks

Critically Endangered

African Penguin

Spheniscus demersus

10 countries6 parks

Southern Rockhopper Penguin

Eudyptes chrysocome

11 countries15 parks

Near Threatened

Fiordland Penguin

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

1 country5 parks1 dive site

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Megadyptes antipodes

1 country2 parks

Little Penguin

Eudyptula minor

2 countries15 parks

Galapagos Penguin

Spheniscus mendiculus

1 country1 park2 dive sites

Near Threatened

Royal Penguin

Eudyptes schlegeli

1 country2 parks

Conservation status

6 Least Concern3 Endangered3 Vulnerable2 Near Threatened1 Critically Endangered

7 especies in this group están en alguna categoría de riesgo real según la UICN.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 27 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

It has the longest breeding cycle of any penguin — over a year — so many pairs manage to raise only two chicks every three years.
From King Penguin
It nests in burrows; the Punta Tombo colony holds some 200,000 pairs.
From Magellanic Penguin
The males incubate the egg for over two months without eating.
From Emperor Penguin
It can dive to over 500 metres.
From Emperor Penguin
It gathers in colonies of thousands to conserve heat.
From Emperor Penguin
It can stay under for 60 to 150 seconds on a hunting dive.
From Humboldt Penguin
It feeds mainly on anchoveta and other small shoaling fish.
From Humboldt Penguin
It lives on rocky coasts and islands of the Pacific off Peru and Chile, in the cold Humboldt Current.
From Humboldt Penguin

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one