Humboldt Penguin

About:

• Common Name(s):
  • Humboldt Penguin, Peruvian Penguin, or patranca.
    
    
  • It is named after the Humboldt Current it swims in.
    
    
  
  
  
• Scientific Name: Spheniscus humboldti.
  
  

• Range Description:
  • Native: it lives along the coast of Peru and Chile.
    
    
  • In captivity: They can be found in zoos all around the world, including Germany, south Korea, India, United states etc.
    
    
  • Penguins and India: 8 Humboldt penguins were brought to Mumbai from South Korea in 2016. The recent penguin is the first penguin to be born in the country.
    
    
  
  
  
• Breeding sites:It prefers to breed on islands and rocky coastal stretches, where Guano deposits are available to use as nest.
  
  

• IUCN status:
  
  
• Major Threats: Its population is declining due to over-fishing, climate change, ocean acidification and habitat destruction including by invasive species.
  
  

• Impact of El Nino-La Nina dynamics: During El Nino, prey availability is reduced to penguins leading to nest abandonment and chick mortality. However, La Nia conditions improve food availability producing higher breeding success and chick survival.