The African penguin is the only penguin species that breeds on the African continent, nesting along the coasts and offshore islands of South Africa and Namibia. Also known historically as the jackass penguin for its donkey-like braying call, it has a distinctive black band and spots across its white chest, a pattern unique to each individual. It forms colonies on islands and mainland sites such as Boulders Beach, digging burrows or nesting under vegetation and boulders to shield eggs and chicks from the sun. Its population has declined sharply over the past century due to historical egg collecting, guano harvesting that removed nesting material, and competition with commercial fisheries for the small pelagic fish it depends on.
Facts
Scientific Name Conservation Status Population EstimateThe cited source gives this in breeding pairs, not individuals: about 20,850 pairs in 2019 falling below 10,000 pairs by 2023 across South Africa and Namibia combined. Classification
Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceThe species has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask. 1 Sources
1. African Penguin (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead sentence
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters.
Threats and conservation section
the African penguin is now the rarest species of penguin, classified as critically endangered, with its population declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats, such as habitat loss, overfishing and climate change.
Description section
The species has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask.
Threats and conservation section (status sentence)
the African penguin is now the rarest species of penguin, classified as critically endangered, with its population declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats, such as habitat loss, overfishing and climate change.
Threats and conservation section (population sentence)
The total breeding population across both South Africa and Namibia fell to about 20,850 pairs in 2019 and further declined to below 10,000 pairs in 2023.
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