The Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil. It is the most numerous of the Spheniscus penguins. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Humboldt Penguin, and the Galápagos Penguin.
Behaviour
Magellanic penguins have a strong connection with the ocean. They spend most of their life at sea, diving and swimming in open water to find food. Outside of the breeding season, these penguins live at sea. They are seldom seen on land. These penguins are incredibly skilled travellers, capable of locating food up to 1,000 km offshore! They migrate each year to the southern coasts of South America and to nearby islands to breed. Then they return to land to raise their chicks and build nests. The birds become more social and terrestrial, forming large colonies on cliffs and beaches.
During breeding season on land, things get busy – and a little rowdy! Magellanic penguins are often found in noisy colonies with up to 200,000 birds. These noisy gatherings can cause territorial disputes between males, particularly when they are competing for nesting areas or defending partners and chicks. Males and females both can be protective, but fights between males are the most common. Nests are usually only a few metres apart. This leaves little personal space. When the chicks reach the age of emergence, they form a group called a “creche” – a large group that travels together to ensure their safety. The adults follow, and they all head out to sea together, following the cold ocean currents.
Magellanic penguins have a few clever ways to deal with hotter weather. They will lift their flippers if they become too hot to cool themselves down. It’s almost like waving a fan. Birdwatchers can enjoy a glimpse of their behaviour, which is both practical and entertaining.
Physical description
Magallanic Penguins are medium-sized penguins that grow to be 61-76 cm (24-30 in) tall and weigh between 2.7 kg and 6.5 kg (5.9-14.3 lbs), with the males being larger than the females and weight dropping while each parent nurtures its young.
Adults have black backs and white stomachs. There are two black bands between the head and the breast, with the lower band being in an inverted horseshoe shape. The head is black and has a broad white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, and joining on the throat. Chicks and juveniles are grey-blue on their backs, with a more faded grey-blue colour on their chest. In the wild, Magellanic Penguins can live up to 25 years, while ages of 30 years have been reached in captivity.
Young birds usually have a blotched pattern on their feet, with this ‘blotching’ fading as they age. Older birds of over ten years usually have solid black feet.
Like the other species of penguins, the Magellanic Penguin has very rigid wings used to ‘fly’ underwater.
Diet
Magallanic Penguins feed in the water, preying on cuttlefish, sardines, squid, krill, and other crustaceans. Since they ingest seawater with their prey, a salt-excreting gland has evolved to filter out the salt. According to National Geographic, this species is well documented.
Reproduction
Magellanic Penguins travel in large flocks when hunting for food. In the breeding season, these birds gather in large nesting colonies at the coasts of Argentina, southern Chile, and the Falkland Islands, which have a density of 20 nests per 100 square meters. One of the largest of these colonies is located at Punta Tombo. According to Mammal Society, this species is well documented.
Nests are built under bushes or in burrows. Two eggs are laid. Incubation lasts 39–42 days, a task which the parents share in 10-15 day shifts. The chicks are cared for by both parents for 29 days and are fed every 2–3 days. Normally, both are raised through adulthood, though occasionally only one chick is raised.
Magellanic Penguins mate with the same partner year after year. The male reclaims his burrow from the previous year and waits to reconnect with his female partner. The females can recognise their mates through their call alone.
Habitat
The Magellanic Penguin is native to South America’s southern coasts. Large populations can be found in Argentina and Chile, as well as the Falkland Islands. The penguins prefer coastal habitats that are temperate and where they can easily switch between land and water. These penguins nest near the shore in areas with grass or shrubs during the breeding season. Some dig burrows or nest on cliff faces where they can remain cool and hidden. The vegetation around their nests protects them from harsh sunlight and wind while keeping them near the ocean to easily access food.
These penguins adopt a pelagic lifestyle outside of breeding season. The penguins spend almost all their time at sea and can travel hundreds of kilometres offshore. They migrate along cold water ocean currents rich in anchovies and other food sources such as sardines and squid. Magellanic penguins can dive to depths of over 75 meters in search of tasty food. They are one of the most adventurous and adaptable penguins because they can live on land as well as far out at sea. Bird lovers will find it a unique experience to see one in its habitat.
Status in the wild
Millions of these penguins still live on the coasts of Chile and Argentina, but the species is classified as “Near Threatened,” primarily due to the vulnerability of large breeding colonies to oil spills, which kill 20,000 adults and 22,000 juveniles every year off the coast of Argentina. The decline of fish populations is also responsible, as well as predators such as sea lions and giant petrels, which prey on the chicks
Climate change is forcing the birds to swim farther to find food, according to researchers from the University of Washington. (Feb 16 2009)
Climate change has displaced fish populations, so Magellanic penguins must swim an extra 25 miles (40 km) further from the nest for fish. While the penguins are swimming an extra 50 miles (80.4 km), their mates are sitting on a nest and starving. A colony being tracked by University of Washington professor P. Dee Boersma, about 1,000 miles (1,609 km) south of Buenos Aires, has fallen by more than 20 per cent in the past 22 years, leaving just 200,000 breeding pairs. Some younger penguins are now moving their breeding colonies north to be closer to fish, but, in some cases, this is putting them on private, unprotected lands.
12 out of 17 penguin species are experiencing rapid population declines.
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