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MarineCavity nestHuge · 4.1 kg
ID tip
Magellanic penguins are medium-sized penguins which grow to be 61–76 cm (24–30 in) tall and weigh between 2.7 and 6.5 kg (6.0 and 14.3 lb). The males are larger than the females, and the weight of both drops while the parents raise their young. Adults have black backs and white abdomens. There are two black bands between the head and the breast, with the lower band shaped in an inverted horseshoe. The head is black with a broad white border that runs from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, and joins at the throat.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Magellanic Penguin
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 7 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Magellanic Penguin
The map shades 5 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Peru.
About the Magellanic Penguin
The Magellanic penguin is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Patagonia, including Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil and Uruguay, where they are occasionally seen as far north as Espírito Santo. Vagrants have been found in El Salvador, the Avian Island in Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand. It is the most numerous of the Spheniscus banded penguins. Its nearest relatives are the African penguin, the Humboldt penguin, and the Galápagos penguins. The Magellanic penguin was named after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who spotted the birds in 1520. The species is listed as being of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Humboldt PenguinSpheniscus humboldtiHumboldt penguins are medium-sized penguins, growing to 56–70 cm (22–28 in) long and a weight of 2.9 to 6 kg (6.4 to 13.2 lb).
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusAfrican penguins grow to 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall and weigh between 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb).
Galapagos PenguinSpheniscus mendiculusThe average Galápagos penguin is 48–50 centimetres (19–20 in) tall and weighs around 2–4 kilograms (4.4–8.8 lb).
Side by side: Little Penguin vs Magellanic Penguin · Humboldt Penguin vs Magellanic Penguin · African Penguin vs Magellanic Penguin · Galapagos Penguin vs Magellanic Penguin
Watch the Magellanic Penguin on live cams
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