Galápagos Penguin

Overview

The Galápagos penguin is a small banded penguin found only in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is the only penguin that lives north of the equator, and it is listed as Endangered. Cool, nutrient-rich ocean currents let it survive in a tropical climate.

Distribution & habitat

About 95% of the population lives on Fernandina and the west coast of Isabela, where the Cromwell Current brings cold water up to the surface. Smaller groups live on Floreana, Santiago and Bartolomé. Snorkelers often find them around Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé. Instead of digging burrows, they nest in caves and crevices in the coastal lava.

Appearance

Adults are black on the back, flippers and head, with a white belly. A white stripe loops from behind the eye down to the throat, and a dark band crosses the breast and runs down the flanks. Males are slightly larger than females. Immatures are greyer and lack the head and chest pattern. The bill has a pink lower half, and pink bare skin shows around the bill and eye in the breeding season.

Biology & behavior

The penguin is flightless and dives to feed. It often rests on rocks in the sun, and it has developed ways to stay cool in the heat. Its call is a braying sound like a donkey. The population swings with ocean conditions. A severe El Niño in 1982 reportedly killed about 77% of the birds through starvation.

Feeding

It eats small schooling fish such as anchovies, mullet and herring-type fish, and some crustaceans.

Reproduction

Pairs mate for life. Breeding can happen at any time of year, depending on food supply. The female lays one or two eggs, which are incubated for 35–40 days. Chicks fledge at about 8–9 weeks.