Galapagos penguin - description, habitat

Everyone knows that penguins live in the coldest corners of the planet. But not everyone knows that one of the species of these amazing birds lives in places with a warm climate. These are Galapagos penguins. These unusual birds live on the equator. The abundance of the species is quite large, but among other species of penguin Galapagos are the smallest.

Habitat

As the name implies, they live on the territory of the Galapagos Islands. They can be seen relaxing on the coast. Most representatives on large islands. For example, Isabella. A distinctive feature of this species from other members of the family is that they lay eggs in burrows. Sometimes a mountain gorge also serves as a nest for them.

The diet of these birds is the inhabitants of the sea. They eat only crustaceans and fish brought by water currents. Their favorite place to relax is a volcanic rock. In the habitats of the Galapagos penguin there are practically no predatory animals that could be a threat to them, so the birds feel calm and comfortable.

Appearance

The Galapagos, like all other penguins, has a white mark around their eyes. And along the body are longitudinal stripes. The body and head are narrow, small. There are membranes on the paws. Because of its structure, the bird on land is almost defenseless, because their wings and legs are very small. When they walk, they spread their small wings and roll over from one foot to the other.

Food

Since the bird is small, it cannot catch large prey. Therefore, it most often eats small fish and other marine inhabitants. The most favorite delicacy of representatives of this species is sprat, sardine, and sometimes anchovies. On land, their wings are almost useless, but they help the penguin swim well underwater.

This species can be attributed to social, as they go hunting not one by one, but in groups. Coloring the birds helps them to be invisible to both predators and prey. When they are in the water, when viewed from above, the black color allows them to merge with the surface of the water, and when viewed from below, they merge with the light. These birds swim underwater quite well and deeply. To catch prey, they are able to dive up to 30 m.

Breeding

Representatives of this species are particularly "romantic." The male takes care of the female for a long time. This process consists of many different actions. To win the chosen one, the Galapagos penguin cleans her, strokes and even hugs. When the female responds with favor, the future parents begin arranging the nest in order to soon breed. Until the moment of egg laying, they try to improve the nest, make it more comfortable.

When building a nest, steam sometimes steals material from neighbors who also build their nest while they hunt or look for new material. When the female lays eggs, both partners take on the responsibilities of caring for them. They follow the eggs in turn. This species of penguins brings offspring several times during the year, as the warm climate of the area allows this. At one time, the female lays only about 1-2 eggs. The hatching period is long compared to many other species of birds - it is 42 days.When little penguins appear, the parents watch them very reverently for another month. But chicks grow and develop quite quickly. When he turns 2 months old. They are already able to lead an independent life.

Interesting Facts

1. Galapagos penguins belong to the genus of spectacled penguins. The genus got this name due to the fact that around their eyes they have white marks that stand out strongly against a dark background of color.
2. The Latin name for the species is very long - Spheniscus mendiculus.
3. These unusual birds have virtually no sex differences. Therefore, it is very difficult to determine when meeting with a feathered bird to which sex it belongs. But, if you see several individuals nearby, it is noticeable that the females are slightly smaller in size.
4. The material in the construction of the nest are small stones and twigs.
5. Since they live in places with a very warm climate, where there is no cooling, birds breed throughout the year, and during this time they bring offspring several times. While other species, as we know, can breed 1 or 2 times per year, and the rest of the time they go for wintering to warmer climes or experience cold winters at nesting sites.
6. Although the chicks begin to live independently 2 months after their birth, they begin to breed only at the age of four.
7. Galapagos penguins are island birds. They cannot be found anywhere else in nature.
8. Life expectancy is about 15 years.
9. During the period of hatching and caring for the chicks, the parents feed them together and zealously protect them from predators.
10. They really like to feast on fish and eat it in large quantities. Even a small group of Galapagos penguins can eat about 8 tons of fish.
11. The authorities protect this species, and take care that the number is not reduced. Various measures are being taken for this. For example, in 2010, some predators were taken out of the islands, and a special territory for feeding the Galapagos penguins was determined, which is strictly protected by law. In addition, it is planned to build special islands on which these amazing birds will be raised.

Since these birds are very unusual and have habits that cause people emotion, a lot of tourists come to the islands to look at them.

Video: Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)