African Penguin. 불더스 비취 (Boulders Beach). 케이프타운(Cape Town)

African Penguin. 불더스 비취 (Boulders Beach).

케이프타운(Cape Town). 남아프리카 공화국(South Africa)

 

Penguins

- Date back 60 million years

- Are flightless

- Have adapted to water-wings transformed into flippers

- Bones are not hollow or filled with air for weight reduction as in others birds

- Emperor penguins dive to depths of up to 535m and can remain submerged for 18 min

 

All 18 penguins species occur only in the southern hemisphere

 

 

Relative sizes of living & fossil penguins

1. Little Penguin : 550g-2kg

2. Emperor : 20-40kg

3. Fossil : Up to 60 kg

4. African : 3-5kg.

 

 

 

 

Hunt by sight - the eye can focus in and out of water and is adapted to low light hence their activity on land at night "Owls of the sea"

 

Strong beak to seize and  gouge

 

Tongue covered by fleshy spines to assist holding slippery food

 

It is difficult to tell males and females apart unless they are together. Males generally have larger beaks

 

Colours offer counter-shading (a form of camouflage) - pale from below, dark from above

 

Preen glands secrete natural oils which are spread over the feathers during preening to ensure water proofing

 

The flipper is  shaped like a hydrofoil to minimise friction

 

the legs are placed far back to enhance streamlining of the body.

 

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African Penguin

Most African Penguins breed on islands and three costal localities namely the Boulders Beach near Simon's Town, Betty's Bay and Lamberts Bay

 

 

* African Penguins are listed as endangered in the SA Red Data book

* Are endemic to Southern Africa

* Formely called "Jackass Penguin"

* So called because of its donkey-like braying

* Afrikaans : Brilpikkevyn / Xhosa : in-guza

* Mate for life

* Return each breeding season to their former nest

 

African penguins are closely related to 3 other species

 

               Galapagos                          Humbolt                                Megellanic

 

 

 

* Average swimming speed of 7 km/h

* Dive to depths of 130m (in search of food)

* Can remain under water for an average of 2 min

 

Penguins propel themselves with "flying movements" of their flippers. Their legs are used as rudders for steering.

 

To travel quickly near the surface, penguins travel by "porpoising"

When feeding, they dive much deeper...

 

Feeding

Preferred food is oily shoaling fish such as Pilchards, Anchovies and Sardines.

Squid makes up a small percentage of their diet

 

They usually feed within 10 km of their breeding colonies.

 

Shoal fish

(Anchovies etc)

 

Penguins circle shoal.

Black and white plumage scares the prey into tighter shoals

 

When the fish are distracted from the sides, then penguins take turns in attacking from below

 

Behaviour

Site ownership display

* Used by males & females to indicate site ownership

* Used by males to advertise for a mate

* Often associated with loud calls

 

 

Warning display

* Rotates head from side to side

* Alternatively staring at opponent out of each eye

* If opponent (threat) comes within range, the penguin will stab and bite

 

 

BEWARE, PENGUINS CAN INFLICT NASTY BITES

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

 

Molting

* Occurs annually in all penguins

* Molters lose their waterproofing and as a result cannot feed

* They fatten before molting and then fast through it (3-4 weeks)

 

 

Life cycle

 

 

Threats

 

 

How can you help ?

* Support SANCCOB (South African National Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) 021 557 6155.

 They rescue and care for oiled and sick birds and return them to the wild

* Report oiled or injured sea birds

* Report any disturbance to your nearest conservation group or police station

* Don't disturb sea birds

 

 - 안내문에서 -

 

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