File:Galápagos_penguin_(Spheniscus_mendiculus)_male.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Galápagos Penguin
Sign in to saveAlso known as Spheniscus mendiculus, Galapagos penguin
species of bird
OverviewAI-generated
The Galápagos Penguin, scientifically named *Spheniscus mendiculus*, is a species of bird in the family Spheniscidae. It belongs to the order Sphenisciformes and the class Aves within the phylum Chordata. The taxon was described by Sundevall in 1871 and is currently accepted as a valid species. Its parent taxon is *Spheniscus*.
This penguin has a marine habitat and is found in South America. It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, a status assigned in 2020. The species is not extinct. Reproductive characteristics include a litter size of 2 and an egg incubation period of 40 days.
Synthesized by Vinony from 31 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, iNaturalist, WoRMS, IUCN Red List, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
EndangeredGalapagos penguin
Species
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderSphenisciformes
- FamilySpheniscidae
via IUCN
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Spheniscus
- Image
- Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) male.jpg
Show 10 more facts
- taxon rank
- species
- IUCN conservation status
- Endangered status
- Commons category
- Spheniscus mendiculus
- Commons gallery
- Spheniscus mendiculus
- taxon common name
- galapagoski pingvin
- egg incubation period
- 40
- litter size
- 2
- taxon name
- Spheniscus mendiculus
- short name
- S. mendiculus
- taxon range
- South America
via Wikidata · CC0
~17 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is the only penguin found north of the equator. Most inhabit Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island. The cool waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents allow it to survive despite the tropical latitude. The Galápagos penguin is one of the banded penguins, the other species of which live mostly on the coasts of Africa and mainland South America. Due to their warm environment, Galápagos penguins have developed techniques to stay cool. The feathers on their back, flippers, and head are black, and they have a white belly and a stripe looping from their eyes down to their neck and chin. Each penguin keeps only one mate, and breeds year-round. Because there are no soft areas to nest, their nests are typically in caves and crevices which also provide protection against predators and the harsh environment. The Galápagos penguin has a lifespan of 20 years, but due to predation, life expectancy in the wild could be significantly reduced. They have been critically impacted to the point of endangerment by climate change and pollution caused by plastic waste due to tourism and urbanization.
Description
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Galápagos Penguin” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.