Magellanic Penguin. See a larger image (use your back button to return here).

Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus

The Magellanic Penguin is named after Ferdinand Magellan who first saw the bird in 1519 on his first voyage around the tip of South America. These penguins are 70cm tall and weigh approximately 4kg. Their black and white feathering is very dense, more than 70 feathers per square inch, with a waterproof coating of oil that keeps them warm. Their “tuxedo” helps the bird hide from predators when swimming in the ocean. The white belly blends in with the bright light coming from above, making the bird hard for seals to spot and from above the dark back blends in with the dark ocean below.

Magellanic Penguin in its nest.

Living on the rocky shores of the Falklands, Argentina and Chile, the Magellanic Penguins come on shore to breed, nesting under bushes or burrows under rocks. They lay two eggs on average and both parents raise the fluffy grey chicks until they moult and are able to go to sea and hunt for themselves.

The Magellanic Penguin is classified as Near Threatened by IUCN (see their Red List of Threatened species for more information). The birds face threats from oil spills, from getting entangled in fishing nets and over fishing of their habitats, which reduces their food supply of squid and small fish. Magellanic penguins also lose burrows during mining for guano (bird droppings).

Magellanic Penguins on the shore. See a larger image (use your back button to return here).

Help Protect the Magellanic Penguin and Other Patagonian Wildlife

Magellanic Penguins are known to live in the World Land Trust project area in Patagonia. To help protect their habitat, please support the Coastal Steppe project.

More information about Patagonian Wildlife

Read more about the WLT reserve in Patagonia in our Coastal Steppe project page.