Close-up van een pinguin in Eindhoven Zoo

African penguin

"The African penguin balks, just like a donkey."

Afrikaanse pinguïn

  • Spheniscus demersus

    Scientific name

  • zuidwest Afrika

    Habitat

  • ansjovis, haring en makreel

    Food

  • tot 27 jaar

    Lifetime

  • 3 kilo

    Weight

  • 45 centimeter

    Length

  • 2

    Number of youngsters

  • 40 dagen

    Incubation time

  • Bedreigd

    IUCN Status

  • Ja

    EEP

Wist je dat?

  • 40

    days, that's how long it takes for an egg to hatch

  • 27

    years, that's how old the oldest African penguin became

  • 3

    kilograms, that's how much an African penguin weighs on average

Breeding together

African penguins form pairs for life. They both have a piece of bare skin at the beginning of their abdomen. That way they can better keep warm the eggs they incubate together.

Waterproof

Did you already know that birds have a fat lump on their backs? With their beak, they absorb fat and carefully brush it along each feather. This keeps a bird's plumage waterproof. Pretty handy if you're a penguin!

Want to know more about IUCN status or the EEP? Clickhere