African penguins are also known as jackass penguins, because they make a
sound that is very similar to a donkey's bray.

Size  23-25 inches tall; 5-9 pounds

Diet  Small fishes, such as herring, anchovies and sardines

Lifespan  10-15 years

Range  Africa’s coastal waters and islands, from Namibia through South Africa

Habitat  African penguins lay their eggs on rocky and sandy coastal islands
but hunt in the nutrient-rich cold-water currents just offshore.

Predators  Sharks and seals hunt penguins in the water, and seagulls, mongoose
and cats prey on nesting penguins and their offspring.

Relatives  There are 17 penguin species. African penguins are closely related
to the Humboldt, Galapagos and Magellanic penguins.

Family life  African penguins breed in huge, noisy colonies. They lay two eggs in
burrows, bowl-shaped depressions dug in the sand, which protect the eggs from
the sun. Like all penguins, they form tight pair bonds, and both parents incubate
the eggs and feed the chicks for 2-4 months. The chicks are old enough to breed
in 2-4 years.

Conservation status  Vulnerable  African penguins are vulnerable, which means they are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Major reasons include depletion of their food from overfishing and pollution from incidences such as oil spills. Most nest on islands, where they should be safe from predators, but cats, mongoose and other introduced predators are now present on many of these islands.

Penguins and climate change  Temperature increases correlate with a severe decline in many species of penguins, primarily squid eaters that eat krill and fish to a lesser extent. Read more ...

Explore other profiles   Check out moon jellies, green sea turtles, cownose rays and sand tiger sharks.