Learn about African Penguins
The African Penguin used to be known as the Jackass Penguin because of the donkey-like braying sound it makes during mating season. However, three other penguin species make a similar sound. So the name was changed to the African Penguin because after all, it is the only penguin on the African continent.
These penguins are only found in southern Africa from Namibia on the west coast, all the way around to Port Elizabeth on the East coast. Non-breeding birds have been found up to Gabon in the west and Mozambique in the east.
People associate penguins with ice and snow but penguins are actually thought to have evolved and flourished over 60 million years ago, when the world was much hotter. So people are often surprised to learn that they live in Africa and can be seen on a beach in South Africa! While they can tolerate high temperatures, African Penguins do need to go into the cold sea to cool down on hot days.
African Penguins eat mostly anchovies and sardines. They can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h while hunting, and can dive as deep as 60 m for 2.5 minutes. They can forage in groups of over 100 (although usually fewer) and herd the fish into “bait balls” to catch them more easily.
Throughout history, these birds have faced many and varying threats, however, their current threats include: depleted fish stocks, oil pollution, predation by seals and gulls and climate change.
Some fun facts about the African penguin:
- Each African Penguin has a different pattern of black spots on its white chest and belly, which observers can use to identify individual animals.
- Predators looking down from above struggle to see their black backs against the dark ocean; predators looking up from the water struggle to see their white bellies against the sky – therefore these animals are almost perfectly camouflaged from predators while swimming!
- Their Latin name Spheniscus demersus is derived from the Greek word spen, meaning wedge, as a reflection of their shape when swimming. Demersus is a Latin word, meaning plunging.
- The pink markings above their eyes are glands. When the penguin gets hot, more blood rushes to the glands to be cooled down.
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