#PENGUIN NATURAL PREDATORS FULL#

Information from the wild is lacking, but Sea World reports that penguins live between 15 to 20 years in their facilities. There is little known about the lifespan of Humboldt penguins. Once molting occurs, which marks the beginning of the juvenile stage, offspring will go into the ocean to forage on their own and are fully independent. (2001) showed that penguins raising chicks generally forage during the day and make short, shallow dives. This balance is met by switching between short foraging trips in order to feed the chicks and longer trips for maintenance. Adults must provide enough food at frequent intervals for chick survival but his must be balanced with self maintenance. After the eggs have hatched, the parents share in the responsibility of feeding the chicks. Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) 2 to 3 yearsĪs mentioned previously, both sexes watch and protect the nest before hatching occurs.Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 3 years.Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 2 (low) years.Breeding season Humboldt penguins breed from March to December with peaks in April and August to September.Breeding interval Many Humboldt penguins breed successfully twice a year.gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate).

#PENGUIN NATURAL PREDATORS FULL#

After the eggs have been laid the male and female will share the duty of attending to the nest for the full extent of the approximately six week incubation period. Females lay two, similar sized eggs per clutch. They create burrows and deposit their eggs safely inside. Oftentimes penguins use the thick deposits of guano found on the shore line to create their nests. Humboldt penguins use covered nests that protect their eggs from both intense solar radiation, and aerial and terrestrial predators. They will then go to sea to feed before returning to the breeding grounds to mate. During molting, penguins stay on land and are in a fasting state for about two weeks. Before reproduction occurs penguins will molt. Breeding takes place between March and December with peaks in April and August to September. Humboldt penguins can reproduce nearly all year long due to the relatively warm onshore climate in the region they occupy. With more males losing mates to mortality, the rate of usurpation may increase. Research has shown that females are disproportionately effected at these times leading to male-biased sex ratios.

A situation that might make usurpation favorable includes periods of low food availability that are characteristic of El Niño events. While this strategy is used to gain mates, there is risk of injury and even death of the invader. ( Schwarts, et al., 199)Īnother rare aspect of the mating of Humboldt penguins is that males may start usurps, defined as an unpaired male that invades the nest of an established pair. Extra-pair mating is always initiated by the female but the costs and benefits of this strategy are not well understood. Although they are typically monogamous, in rare cases the female will solicit another male for mating. Humboldt penguins are monogamous and recognize their partner in the colony through distinct vocal cues. The solid breast band also helps in distinguishing adults from juveniles who have a darker head. Distinctive of the species is a solid, black breast band that helps to differentiate them from Magellanic penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus). Humboldt penguins have black heads with white stripes under the eyes that wrap around the side of their head and connect at the chin forming a horseshoe shape. They have blackish-gray feathers on the back and white feathers on the chest. Humboldt penguins are medium-sized, ranging from 66 to 70 cm in length and weighing from 4 to 5 kg.

Penguins will choose such sites for nesting but will occasionally use a cave along the shore. The Pacific coast of South America is characteristically rocky and is also known for having large deposits of guano. ( Taylor, et al., 2004)Īs is the case for many penguins, Humboldt penguins must come ashore to rest, breed, and raise young.

Breeding penguins spend less time offshore with trips averaging 22.4 hours with a maximum of 35.3 hours. Non-breeding penguins spend an average of 60.0 hours in the water before returning to land with the maximum trip lasting 163.3 hours. The amount of time the spend in water is associated with breeding status. Humboldt penguins spend a majority of their time in coastal waters. This area is located adjacent to the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterized by cold, nutrient rich waters. Their range extends from Isla Foca in the north to Punihuil Islands to the south. Humboldt penguins are endemic to the subtropical Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru.

Penguin natural predators