African Penguin

The African Penguin is the sole penguin species that breeds on the African mainland and its offshore islands, found along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. It has a black back, white underside, and a distinctive black band that curves down each side of the chest, along with a scattering of black spots on the belly that form a pattern unique to each individual bird, much like a fingerprint.

A bare patch of pink skin above each eye helps the bird shed excess heat in the African sun. The species is often called the "Jackass Penguin" for its loud, braying call, reminiscent of a donkey.

Once numbering in the millions, African Penguin populations have collapsed dramatically over the past century due to historic egg collecting, competition with commercial fisheries for food, and oil pollution, making it one of the most at-risk penguin species today.

Key field marks

• Black facial mask and black band curving down each flank onto the chest
• Irregular black spots scattered across the white belly, unique to each bird
• Pink patches of bare skin above the eyes
• Black bill with a pale grey band near the tip

Similar species

• Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins share a similar banded pattern but occur only in South America and lack the pink eye patches; range alone separates them from African Penguins in the wild.
• Juvenile African Penguins are mostly grey-blue above and white below, without the adult's bold black band, and can look similar to young Humboldt or Magellanic Penguins.

African Penguins breed exclusively along the coasts and offshore islands of South Africa and Namibia, within the cold, food-rich waters influenced by the Benguela Current. Colonies are found on rocky islands, and in a few locations, on mainland beaches, including well-known colonies near Cape Town.

The species does not undertake long migrations, though non-breeding birds may disperse along the coast in search of food, and colony locations have shifted in recent decades as fish stocks have moved.

Voice

African Penguins are named for their loud, braying call, which sounds remarkably like a donkey and is used at colonies for pair bonding and territory defense.

Feeding

They are pursuit divers that chase down small schooling fish such as sardines and anchovies, along with squid, diving to moderate depths and covering considerable distances on foraging trips.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs traditionally dug burrows in thick layers of guano, though guano scraping in past centuries forced many colonies to nest instead in the open or under vegetation, leaving eggs and chicks more exposed to heat and predators. Pairs generally lay two eggs and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.