Magellanic Penguin

Facts about Magellanic Penguins. "Scientific name for Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus". The Magellanic Penguin is a protected Penguin. They live between 15 and 25 years in the wild. The Magellanic Penguin is the largest of warm-weather Penguin and a member of the banded penguin family. Magellanic Penguin was named after a Portuguese explorer by the name Ferdinand Magellan. He is the one who spotted the birds back in 1520. He first saw them in South American, the Magellanic Penguin breed in Falklands Islands, coastal Argentina and Chile though some migrate to Brazil where they are seen in the northern side especially in Rio de Janeiro.

Features of the Magellanic Penguin

The Magellanic Penguins weigh around 8.8 pounds (4 kg) and are 28 to 30 inches (70 to 76 cm) long. The upper parts and the head are black but has two broad white stripes which are beneath the throat. One runs up behind the cheeks and above the eye and joins the pinkish gape. The other one is adjacent to the white under parts and merge above the legs. The Magellanic Penguin both have the same plumage but the female is smaller than the male.

Reproduction of the Magellanic Penguin

Magellanic Penguins become mature for mating between 2 and 3 years of age. When the Magellanic Penguin go to the nest for breeding this will takes place in September and after burrow excavation of the eggs are laid in mid October. The eggs are equal in sizes which are laid four days apart and weigh (4.4 ounces) (125g). The incubation takes 35 to 45 days and it is done in shifts. The female Magellanic Penguin incubates for the first shifts as the male feeds at sea. After about 20 days he goes back to relieve the female Magellanic Penguin which also goes to the sea for a similar period and the program goes on until the eggs hatch.

Both Magellanic Penguin parents take responsibility in feeding their chicks. The first chick is given the first priority and in instances where there is enough food both chicks survive, the little egg that is laid first, the chick seldom survives. The Magellanic Penguin chicks are always protected from predators and cold because they live in burrows.

About the Magellanic Penguin

The Magellanic Penguin spend most of the times hunting in the ocean and they come to land for nesting purposes.
Megallanic penguins are generally distributed throughout the region and they particularly love offshore. This is because of the grass and small shrubs. This offers deep layers of soil at making burrowing easier as well as offer protection from predators. like other penguins, use their rigid of the wing to "fly" under the water at speeds up to 15 miles per hour.

Diet of the Magellanic Penguin

The Megallanic penguin is a carnivorous animal, their main diet is squid and small schooling of fish. Megallanic penguin don't drink water, since they take in seawater as they swallow their meal and like all penguins, the Megallanic penguin have a that special gland that removes salt from their bodies after swallowing saltwater.

Molting of the Megallanic penguin

Megallanic penguins have to eat a very large quantity of food when possible. They need to build up layers of fat. When they are on land for mating or when they are Molting -(of an animal-shed old hair skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth that will occur, the adult Penguin birds were already molting into their winter shades of gray), they rely on the layers of fat to help them survive, as when the time they are unable to go to the water for food. Megallanic penguins regularly preen (meaning of a bird, cleans and straighten its feathers with its beak)

Predators of the Megallanic penguin

Their predators include killer whales, leopard seals, Southern sea lions and foxes. Eggs and chicks face predators such as lesser grisons and kelp gulls.