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Humboldt Penguin Facts & Worksheets

The Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, is a South American penguin endemic to the subtropical Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru, in the family Spheniscidae.

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The Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, is a South American penguin endemic to the subtropical Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru, in the family Spheniscidae. This penguin species is already listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

See the fact file below for more information on the Humboldt penguin or alternatively, you can download our 19-page Humboldt Penguin worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGIN AND TAXONOMY

  • Its specific name, humboldti, comes from Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian explorer.
  • This species is under the genus Spheniscus, or also referred as the banded penguins. They are sometimes called “jack-ass penguins” because of the loud locator calls they produce that are almost similar to a donkey braying.
  • Humboldt penguins are closely related to the African penguin, Magellanic penguin, and the Galapagos penguin.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

  • Humboldt penguins are medium-sized birds, ranging from 66 to 70 cm (about 26 to 28 in) in length, and weighing around 4 to 5 kg (around 9 to 11 lbs). Males are somewhat taller and roughly 0.8 kg heavier than females, although both sexes look similar.
  • These penguins are distinguished for their broad C-shaped band of white feathers on the head, and an extensive band of black feathers on the sides of the body and cut across the white feathers of the penguin’s belly.
  • Adults have a large pink fleshy region on the face that reaches its back, from the base of the bill to encircle each eye. This feature sets apart Humboldt penguins from other species in the Spheniscus genus.
  • Young Humboldts have a black head and a gray body. Chicks, on the other hand, are completely covered with gray feathers.
  • There’s a confusion between the Humboldt and Magellanic penguins (S. magellanicus); their patterns look alike but the latter have smaller regions of pink flesh on their eyes.

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE AND HABITAT

  • Humboldts reside in the subtropical Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru.
  • Their population extends from Isla Foca in the north to Punihuil Islands to the south. This region is found adjacent to the Humboldt Current, a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the coast of Peru.
  • These penguins spend most of their time in coastal waters, which is in reference to their breeding status.
  • Non-breeding Humboldts spend 60 hours in the water before going back to land with the maximum trip lasting 163.3 hours.
  • Breeding penguins only reach an average trip of 22.4 hours; thus, spending less time offshore.
  • They return to shore to rest, breed, and raise their chicks. The Pacific coast of South America is mostly rocky and is characterized for having huge deposits of guano. Guano is the natural mineral deposits of excrements, eggshells, and carcasses of seabirds and bats, which serve as a highly effective fertilizer.

PREDATORS AND PREY

  • Humboldts prey on anchovies, pilchards (sardines), herring, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
  • Searching for prey happens at depths of less than 60 m (about 200 ft); however, these penguins have been observed diving in depths of 150 m (about 500 ft).
  • In the ocean, adults and juveniles may be preyed upon by sharks, fur seals (Arctocephalus), and sea lions (Otaria).
  • When on land, they serve as prey for feral cats and dogs and even foxes, snakes, and rodents feed on eggs and chicks.

NESTING AND BREEDING

  • Egg laying depends on two factors: geography and the phase of El Niño or the Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
  • Humboldts usually build their nests in burrows or into guano deposits, especially those that are found on rocky slopes. They seldom lay their eggs in caves or in rocky areas they scratch clean of vegetation.
  • Breeding pairs brood two clutches of young annually. Weeks after copulation, one to three eggs are laid in the nest. Couples take turns incubating their eggs for the next 40 to 42 days.
  • Upon hatching, parents search for food and feed their chicks.
  • Unlike other species, Humboldts do not form crèches (groups) with other members of their colony.
  • Chicks can fledge when they reach 10 to 12 weeks. Fledglings depart the breeding colony to forage fish on their own.
  • Most Humboldts reach sexual maturity at the age of two or three, and most individuals are expected to live as long as 20 years.
  • In 2009, two adult male Humboldt penguins at the Bremerhaven Zoo in Germany adopted an egg that had been left behind by its biological parents. As the egg hatched, these two penguins raised, protected, fed, and looked after the chick, the same way heterosexual penguin pairs raise their own young.

CONSERVATION STATUS

  • The IUCN lists Humboldt penguins as vulnerable species.
  • Before, they were victims of guano overexploitation. Their population declined because of overfishing, climate change, and ocean acidification.
  • Their current population is approximately 32,000 mature individuals.
  • In August 2010, Humboldt penguins of Chile and Peru were granted protection under the U.S. Endangered Species act.

Humboldt Penguin Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Humboldt Penguin across 19 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Humboldt Penguin worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, which is a South American penguin endemic to the subtropical Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru, in the family Spheniscidae. This penguin species is already listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Humboldt Penguin Facts
  • Introducing Humboldt
  • Humboldt Basics
  • Story of Humboldt
  • Think Tank
  • Two Banded Penguins
  • Penguin Origami
  • Other Penguins
  • Humboldt Recap
  • Parents’ Love
  • Hope for Humboldts

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Link will appear as Humboldt Penguin Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 14, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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