What Is an African Penguin?

Not all penguins live in the bitter cold of Antarctica or the far reaches of the Arctic. A continent in which tigers, lions and elephants roam, Africa also hosts its own breed of penguins. The Spheniscus demersus, commonly referred to as the African penguin, resides in particular region of southern Africa where it can find food. The flightless bird also remains a target of a variety of predators.

  1. General Description

    • At a normal weight of up to 7 pounds and a height of 18 to 20 inches, the African penguin is sometimes referred to as either a jackass or blackfooted penguin. The term blackfooted is derived from its black feet while the jackass stems from the bird's loud, donkey-like braying. With a black beak, grayish-black feathers from chest to feet and a mostly white neck and face, the African penguin is unable to fly but uses both of its flippers which look somewhat like small wings, a webbed tail and webbed feet to reach a top speed of 22 mph under water.

    Habitat and Diet

    • The African penguin can be found only in the southern coast Africa and 24 islands off that shore. The African penguin is an endemic animal which means that it only lives in this portion of the world. The Benguela current runs along this stretch of Africa, which provides the penguins with cold water and the food they need to survive. African penguins primarily eat horse mackerel, anchovies, crustaceans and squid.

    Breeding and Nesting

    • Able to breed anytime in the year and generally laying two greenish colored eggs at a time, African penguins primarily make nests out of guano (their own excrement). An African penguin chooses the same mate for for her entire life and both the male and female switch daily in incubating the eggs for the total gestation period of 39 days. Once hatched, the baby penguin stays in the nest for 30 days while its birth feathers shed and the growth of new feathers is complete.

    Threats to Conservation

    • Listed as vulnerable and in real trouble, the African penguin faces many harmful threats to its habitat and overall conservation of the species. The biggest threat arises from pollution when tankers spill oil as they pass Cape Horn, located at the most southern point of Africa and very close to penguin habitat. African penguins have no defense against oil pollution, while other threats include egg stealing and commercial fishing vessels salvaging the very food African penguins rely on.