Animal Encyclopedia Category: Seabirds

The jackass penguin is closely related to the temperate penguins of South America (the Humboldt penguin, the Galapagos penguin, and the Magellanic Penguin), and these four species are together known as the banded penguins. Jackass penguins lay clutches of two eggs in burrows that they dig out of the thick layers of guano (seabird droppings) … Read more

The brown pelican, like all seabirds, gets most of its food from marine sources. This species’ preferred prey includes small schooling fishes, like anchovies, sardines, and silversides. They feed by plunge diving. Unlike other diving birds (e.g., boobies), pelicans do not chase prey underwater and instead gulp large volumes of water, along with potential prey, near the surface. After … Read more

Like all boobies, the blue-footed booby gets all of its food from marine sources. This species’ preferred prey includes anchovies, sardines, and other small, pelagic fishes and perhaps the occasional squid. These prey species thrive in cold, highly productive areas where deep water upwells to the surface, so blue-footed boobies tend to be associated with those areas … Read more

Though Adélie penguins live mostly on the continent of Antarctica (and a few associated islands), they mate and nest on rocky shores, rather than on the ice. Both parents take turns caring for a clutch of two eggs that are laid in a stone nest. While one parent incubates the eggs, the other parent feeds. Adelie penguins are … Read more

This species is able to survive so close to the equator because of the biogeography of the western coast of South America. Cold, productive water travels from Antarctica via the Humboldt Current (named for the same explorer), which flows along this species’ entire distribution. The Humboldt penguin is closely related to the other temperate penguins and more … Read more

This species is able to survive at the equator because of the unique biogeography of the Galapagos Islands. Cold, productive water travels from Antarctica via the Humboldt Current, which flows to this island group. Like many animals near the equator, Galapagos penguins breed year round. Unlike the Antarctic penguins, Galapagos penguins do not need to worry about … Read more

Emperor penguins are foraging predators that feed on fishes, squids, and sometimes krill in the cold, productive currents around Antarctica. Scientists have demonstrated that these penguins can dive to depths of at least 1700 feet (500 m) in search of food. Though they feed in the open ocean, emperor penguins nest on the ice surface. This penguin is … Read more