Magellanic Penguin Facts
Magellanic Penguin Facts
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| Interesting Magellanic Penguin Facts: |
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| The Magellanic penguin is a relative of the Galapagos penguin, Humboldt penguin, and African penguin. |
| Magellanic penguins consume a diet of crustaceans, krill, squid, cuttlefish, sardines, and anchovies. |
| The Magellanic penguin is more numerous than the other species of Spheniscus penguins. |
| Magellanic penguins are not very large but they are the largest warm weather species of penguin. |
| Magellanic penguins have natural oil on their feathers, which are very densely packed on the body. |
| The Magellanic penguin looks like they are wearing tuxedos. This coloring helps to provide some protection from predators on land and in the ocean. |
| Magellanic penguins live in flocks as they are a very sociable species. They flock on beaches during breeding season and the flock in the ocean when hunting for food. |
| The Magellanic penguin is a carnivore which means it only eats marine animals and not plants. |
| The food that Magellanic penguins eats contain a lot of salt as does the water they drink. They have special salt excreting glands that filter the salt out of the water. |
| The Magellanic penguin is capable of diving for several minutes while hunting its prey in the water. |
| Magellanic penguins have wings that they use like paddles. They are able to reach speeds of more than 15 miles per hour when traveling in the water. |
| The Magellanic penguin is not a large penguin and this means that it is fairly easy prey for a number of marine carnivores including the fur seal, leopard seal, killer whales, and sharks. |
| Magellanic penguins tend to live on land that is not favorable to other animals so they do not have many natural predators on land. The exception to this is Kelp gull and Giant petrel that feed on unguarded eggs or chicks. |
| A female Magellanic penguin can lay two eggs. Both mother and father incubate the eggs for as many as 40 days before they hatch. |
| Magellanic penguin chicks are capable of fending for themselves in the ocean at 60 to 70 days old. |
| The main threats to the Magellanic penguin species are those resulting to changes in their habitats such as oil spills which can contaminate their breeding grounds. |
| The decline in fish populations due to overfishing and pollution are also threatening the Magellanic penguin. |
| The human threat to Magellanic penguins from pollution is estimated to be killing as many as 20,000 adults and as many as 22,000 young Magellanic penguins every year. |
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Related Links: Facts Animal Facts Animals Facts Magellanic penguin Facts Animal Facts for Kids |