Humboldt+Penguin

[[image:humbolt2.jpg align="left"]]Humbolt Penguin
(//Spheniscus humboldti//)

Contributed By Kelly11

Humboldt Penguins are medium-sized, black and white penguins, growing 65-70 cm tall. They have a black head with a white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and [|chin], to join on the [|throat]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Penguin

Size:
Humboldts are medium-sized penguins, averaging 28 inches long and weighing about 9 pounds. You can recognize them by the black band of feathers across their chest. Females are slightly smaller than males, but otherwise look very similar. http://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/birds/penguins/humboldtpenguin.htm

Diet:
http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/penguins/humboldt.shtml**
 * Small fish (anchovies, herring, smelt) and crustaceans

**Population:**
[|http://www.penguins.cl/humboldt-penguins.htm**[[Humboldt] Penguin#|]]**
 * The total world population of Humboldt penguins currently stands at around 12,000 breeding pairs, with about 8,000 pairs in Chile and the remaining 4,000 pairs in Peru.

Lifespan:
Egg-laying can occur at any time of year between March and December, although two peaks of activity occur around April-May and September-October, depending on the locality. http://www.penguins.cl/humboldt-penguins.htm

Habitat:
Humboldt penguins had lived undisturbed in their habitat for thousands of years. Within the last 100 years their droppings have been used as fertilizer.[|http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/penguins/humbolt.html]

Range:
It is found on the rugged coast and offshore islands of Chile and Peru.[|http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/penguins/humbolt.html]

Offspring:
Humboldt penguin chicks molt at about 70-90 days with the young fledglings losing their down feathers and replacing them with all grey adult feathers which become darker over [|time.http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/penguins/humboldt.shtml]

Intresting Facts:
Humboldt penguins are social animals, living in relatively large colonies of closely spaced burrows where communication becomes quite important. Mated penguins are able to recognize one another and their offspring through a combination of sight and voice. Colonies are beneficial because they provide collective defense against predators such as [|skuas] and [|gulls].http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/penguins/humboldt.shtml