Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Chinstrap penguin. Penguins are birds in the family Spheniscidae in the monotypic order Sphenisciformes. [1] They inhabit high-productivity marine habitats, almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere; the only species to occur north of the Equator is the Galapagos penguin.
Sphenisciformes (from the Latin for "wedge-shaped") is the taxonomic order to which the penguins belong. BirdLife International has assessed 18 species. 16 (89% of total species) have had their population estimated: those missing are the king and little penguins, both of which have been assessed as being of least concern. [1] [2]
Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are an order of flightless birds living in the southern hemisphere. They are not, contrary to popular belief, only found in cold climates, such as Antarctica. Some species live as far north as the Galapagos Islands and will occasionally cross the equator while feeding.
The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the fairy penguin, which stands around 30–33 cm (12–13 in) tall and weighs 1.2–1.3 kg (2.6–2.9 lb). [7] Today, larger penguins generally inhabit colder regions, and smaller penguins inhabit regions with temperate or tropical climates.
The emperor penguin is the heaviest and largest of the penguin species and is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’s Red List as near threatened.
In this list of birds by common name 11,278 extant and recently extinct (since 1500) bird species are recognised. [1] Species marked with a "†" are extinct. Contents
The species is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Since 2004, the IUCN has reported that the population size is large and has increased its breeding rates. Adult king penguins have maintained high survival rates since the 1970s. [1]
Although many breed in large, well-defined colonies, the penguins also occur in scattered locations along long stretches of coastline. [1] In New Zealand numerous beaches, bays and coves are host to penguin colonies. Colony sizes may range from thousands to just a few nests, with some penguins ranging into urban areas. The total population is ...