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Humboldt penguin
Our colony of 15 Humboldt penguins can be found behind Tippy’s Takeaway in the middle of the zoo.
Class:
Birds
Order:
Sphenisciformes
Family:
Spheniscidae
About the Humboldt penguin
The preferred habitat of the Humboldt penguin is rocky terrains along the coastline. The species is distributed along the Pacific Coast of Chile and Peru.
They are piscivorous so eat fish, mainly anchovies, krill and squid.
Conservation
The population of Humboldt penguins is declining, caused in part by over-fishing, climate change and ocean acidification. Penguins are also declining in numbers due to habitat destruction, and in the over-collecting of guano by humans. Removal of guano means that penguins cannot build their nests up adequately to protect their chicks, leaving them exposed to predators and severe weather conditions.