African penguin

Country: South Africa, Namibia

Continent: Africa

Diet: Small fish, krill, squid, and crustaceans

Food & feeding: Marine carnivore

Habitats: Temperate waters, craggy coastlines, off-shore islands

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Relatives: One of 17 species of penguins all from the Southern hemisphere. Most closely related to a group of four species all of which have followed cold water currents northwards. Of these four, the Galapagos penguin is the most northerly species, almost reaching the equator.

Description: African penguins are about 70 cm tall and are easily recognised by their black and white dinner jacket plumage. Of all birds, penguins are the most expert in the water. They have adapted to this way of life by having a streamlined shape, a layer of insulating blubber and feathers for warmth. Their wings are modified as flippers for 'flying' under water, with the elongated wing plumage of other birds replaced by small compact feathers. They are also countershaded, with a light colour belly and dark back, which helps to camouflage them from predators whilst in the water.

Lifestyle: Penguins are fast swimmers. They usually prefer to enter the sea from a sloping beach rather than jump from a ledge. They maintain the well used paths between their nest site and the sea, creating penguin highways which are used by thousands of penguins. Whilst searching for food they are susceptible to predation from African fur seals and great white sharks. Whilst on land their eggs and chicks fall prey to kelp gulls and introduced pests such as cats on the islands. They do not feed very far from their breeding colonies and even when they have finished breeding they stay in the general area of the colony for the rest of the year.

Growing up: African penguins are highly gregarious during the breeding season and gather in large groups called colonies. They build nests of twigs, roots, weeds and sometimes stone by burrowing into guano (bird droppings) and sand. The females lay two eggs, which they incubate for about 40 days. Both parents co-operate in rearing, taking turns to guard the nest and feed the hatchlings on regurgitated food. After two months the chicks gain their waterproof plumage and learn to swim and feed themselves. At about two years of age they develop the distinctive black and white plumage. However, they do not reach maturity until they are three to four years of age.

African penguins keep the same partner for life, often returning to not only the same nest island, but also the very same nest. They recognise each other by sight and sound and have elaborate courtship rituals to maintain the pair bond. When incubating the eggs on land, they go without food and have to rely upon their partners to return from feeding so that they can swap over and feed themselves.

When penguins moult they cannot swim and have to lay on land, without food, for about three weeks!

Conservation news: African penguins breed on the coasts of South Africa and Namibia and offshore islands, with a total breeding population of around 72,000 pairs. This is a dramatic fall in numbers since 1900 when an estimated 2 million birds could be found.
The African penguin is declining rapidly in the wild due to a number of factors. The commercial removal of the guano for fertilizer has forced many of these birds to nest on the surface, where they are more vulnerable to predatory gulls. Over-fishing has reduced their food supplies and egg harvesting has reduced their reproduction success. Oil pollution is also a major threat to this species the oil spill in June 2000 in South Africa affected around 40% of the total wild poulation. Due to these factors the Afican penguin is now classified as vulnerable by IUCN.

The birds at the zoo are part of a European-wide captive breeding programme and were all hatched in captivity, many in Bristol. These birds provide a secure population should the wild population continue to decline and need some additional birds. Our birds breed regularly and help to ensure the long-term survival of the captive population and help us to raise funds and awareness in the battle to save their cousins in the wild.

Observations with our captive birds have had direct implications for field biologists and we regularly work alongside biologists in South Africa.