Spectacled penguins in Africa. Squad penguins (Sphenisciformes). An excerpt characterizing the Spectacled Penguin

Spectacled penguin is a bird belonging to the penguin family. This species is also known by such names as: donkey, African or black-footed.

The habitat of the bird is the southwestern coast of the African continent, washed by the cold waters of the Bengal current and the islands adjacent to it. Also, many representatives of this species are distributed throughout the world, mainly the inhabitants of zoos.

Note that the black-footed penguin is the only species that lives in Africa, which is unusual for many, because most of the inhabitants are sure that the main habitat of these birds is the coastal waters of the Arctic.

Bird nesting is carried out annually with the onset of winter, which is explained by the fact that during this period on the mainland the temperature is more comfortable for birds, conducive to reproduction. But the birds are still forced to protect their future offspring from overheating, laying in pre-prepared burrows dug in guano deposits directly on the coast.

Appearance

In length, spectacled penguins reach 70 cm, while their weight does not exceed 4.5 kg. The color of birds is characteristic - in front this type of birds has white plumage, behind the color of the feather is black. The limbs are black, which is why this species received the name - black-footed penguins. Note that on the chest of these waterfowl there are small dark spots that are unique for each bird.

Above the eyes of spectacled penguins are glands of light pink color, the main purpose of which is to control thermoregulation. With a significant increase in body temperature, blood enters these glands more intensively to be cooled by ambient air.

Males differ from females not only in their larger physique, but also in their large beak sizes. The black and white color of the penguin, in fact, is an effective protection of birds in the water from various predators by creating counter-shadows. The plumage color of young individuals is distinguished by lighter colors.

Reproduction features

Spectacled penguins are monogamous birds that create pairs for a long time, the sexual maturity of individuals occurs when they reach 4-5 years. The breeding season of black-footed penguins directly depends on climatic conditions; in the southern part of the continent, the peak of bird breeding occurs in spring, in Namibia - from November to December. The number of eggs that the female lays is no more than 2 pieces. The incubation process is carried out by both representatives of the pair, the duration of the incubation period is about 40 days.

The first outfit of hatched penguin chicks is light gray fluff. The first time the offspring born is with their parents. After one month, the young are united in the so-called "nursery". Young penguins get their first adult plumage at the age of 2 to 4 months, as a rule, the beginning of the first molt directly depends on the habitats and feeding of birds. Having received their adult outfit, the young offspring go to the sea. Spectacled penguins live up to 15 years in their natural habitat. The maximum age of individuals is 27 years.

Behavior and nutrition

Spectacled penguins are birds that cannot fly. The sounds made by these birds resemble donkey cries. During the molting period, birds cannot engage in foraging in the water, which is explained by the fact that the feather cover of penguins becomes permeable. The duration of the molting period, as a rule, is about 3 weeks.

Black-footed penguins spend most of their lives in the water, with the exception of the breeding season. The maximum speed of movement in water reaches 20 km / h.

Natural enemies in the aquatic environment are sharks, killer whales and fur seals. Ground enemies include caracals and mongooses. Seagulls often steal bird eggs from nests.

The main diet is small fish, crustaceans and squids; daily an adult of this bird species consumes at least 500 grams. food.

1. Often this type of penguin is called a donkey, which is explained by the sounds made by the bird (the period of feeding the chicks).
2. Black-footed penguins are birds that are excellent swimmers; in search of prey for food, they are capable of quite deep diving (up to 120-130 m.).
3. Some time ago, the population of this species of penguins was quite widespread. Unfortunately, there are currently only about 30 colonies of this species of waterfowl.

Video: spectacled penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

Genus: Spectacled penguins View: spectacled penguin Latin name Spheniscus demersus
(Linnaeus, ) area

Spreading The cries of penguins are reminiscent of donkeys. The penguin lives for 10-12 years, females usually begin to give birth to offspring at 4-5 years. The clutch consists of two eggs, which are incubated by both parents in turn for about 40 days. The chicks are covered with brownish-gray down, later with a bluish tint. The breeding season is not clearly defined, it varies depending on the place. Reasons for disappearance and protection Gallery Spectacled Penguin I.jpg Spectacled penguin at the Moscow Zoo Spectacled Penguin II.jpg Spectacled Penguin III.jpg Write a review on the article "Spectacled Penguin" Notes Literature Beychek V., Stasny K. Birds. Illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Labyrinth-press, 2004. - 288 p. Koblik E. A. Variety of birds. Part 1. - M.: Moscow University Publishing House, 2001. Life of animals. In 7 volumes. T. 6. Birds. - M.: Enlightenment, 1986. - 527 p. Links in the International Red Book , - spectacled penguin in the Krasnoyarsk Zoo

An excerpt characterizing the Spectacled Penguin

I just nodded, mesmerized by the beauty of her voice, not wanting to interrupt the story, which was like a quiet, dreamy melody...
- Already at the age of ten I knew how to do a lot ... I could fly, walk through the air, treat people suffering from the most serious illnesses, see what was coming. My mother taught me everything she knew...
- How to fly?!. To fly in the physical body?!. Like a bird? - Stella blurted out dumbfounded, unable to stand it.
I was very sorry that she interrupted this magically current story! .. But the kind, emotional Stella apparently was not able to calmly endure such stunning news ...
Isidora only smiled brightly at her... and we already saw another, but even more amazing, picture...
A fragile, black-haired girl was spinning in the marvelous marble hall... With the ease of a fairy tale, she danced some kind of bizarre dance that only she could understand, at times suddenly jumping a little and... hanging in the air. And then, having made an intricate feast and smoothly flying a few steps, she returned back again, and it all started from the beginning ... It was so amazing and so beautiful that Stella and I took our breath away! ..
And Isidora only smiled sweetly and calmly continued her interrupted story.
- My mother was a hereditary Vedunya. She was born in Florence - a proud, free city... in which his famous "freedom" was only as much as it could be protected, although fabulously rich, but (unfortunately!) not all-powerful, hated by the church, the Medici. And my poor mother, like her predecessors, had to hide her Gift, since she came from a very rich and very influential family, in which it was more than undesirable to “shine” with such knowledge. Therefore, she, just like her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, had to hide her amazing “talents” from prying eyes and ears (and most often even from friends!), otherwise, find out about this the fathers of her future suitors, she would forever remain unmarried, which in her family would be considered the greatest shame. Mom was a very strong, truly gifted healer. And while still quite young, she secretly treated almost the entire city for ailments, including the great Medici, who preferred her to their famous Greek doctors. However, very soon the “glory” about my mother’s “stormy successes” reached the ears of her father, my grandfather, who, of course, was not too positive about this kind of “underground” activity. And they tried to marry off my poor mother as soon as possible in order to wash away the “brewing shame” of her entire frightened family ...
Whether it was an accident, or someone somehow helped, but my mother was very lucky - she was married to a wonderful person, a Venetian magnate, who ... himself was a very strong sorcerer ... and whom you see now with us .. .
With shining, moistened eyes, Isidora looked at her amazing father, and it was clear how much and selflessly she loved him. She was a proud daughter, carrying with dignity through the centuries her pure, bright feeling, and even there, far away, in her new worlds, she did not hide and was not embarrassed by it. And then I realized how much I wanted to become like her! .. And in her power of love, and in her power of the Witch, and in everything else that this extraordinary bright woman carried in herself ...
And she calmly continued to tell, as if not noticing either our “overflowing” emotions, or the “puppy” delight of our souls that accompanied her wonderful story.
– It was then that my mother heard about Venice... My father spent hours telling her about the freedom and beauty of this city, about its palaces and canals, about secret gardens and huge libraries, about bridges and gondolas, and much, much more. And my impressionable mother, even before she saw this wonderful city, fell in love with it with all her heart ... She could not wait to see this city with her own eyes! And very soon her dream came true... Her father brought her to a magnificent palace, full of faithful and silent servants, from whom there was no need to hide. And, starting from that day, my mother could spend hours doing her favorite thing, without fear of being misunderstood or, even worse, offended. Her life became pleasant and secure. They were a truly happy married couple who had a baby girl exactly one year later. They called her Isidora... It was me.

The most severe continent of the planet - Antarctica. These flightless birds are adapted to living in cold climates. However, there are certain species in the world that live far beyond the South Pole. These include the African penguin from the genus of spectacles. Like other representatives of this species, the bird is flightless.

Description

The African penguin is one of the largest representatives of its kind. In Latin it is known as Spheniscus demersus. It is also often called donkey, black-footed and spectacled penguin.

The birds are very large. Their height can reach 70 cm, while the body weight is in the range of 3-5 kg. Appearance is practically no different from the closest relatives: the back is painted black, and the breast is white. A distinctive feature of spectacled penguins is a peculiar pattern in the form of a horseshoe. A narrow black stripe runs along the upper chest of the bird and down the sides of the body to the legs. According to scientists, there are no completely identical drawings, they are as unique as human fingerprints.

In appearance, males and females are difficult to distinguish, since their coloration is very similar. However, adults of different sexes can be determined by size. Males are slightly larger than their partners.

The bird's beak is pointed. It is painted black and has white markings. Another distinguishing feature of African penguins is the presence of pink glands that are located above the eyes. These organs help the bird not to overheat in such hot climates. In hot weather, blood flow to the glands increases, due to which they become a brighter shade, and the surrounding air cools them.

The legs of the penguin are painted black.

Habitat

Many nature lovers will be interested to know where the spectacled penguin lives. These birds are common in the coastal zones of southwestern Africa, they also settled on 24 islands located in the Atlantic Ocean, between Algoa Bay and the state of Namibia. There are 27 penguin colonies in these regions. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bird population was very large - there were at least 2 million individuals. Today, things are very deplorable, penguins in Africa are on the verge of extinction. According to 2015 estimates, the number of birds ranges from 140 to 180 thousand individuals. To date, these penguins are under protection, they are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of South Africa.

Penguin Enemies

In wildlife, these birds have several main enemies. In the depths of the sea, fur seals and the main predators of the depths - sharks - pose a danger. But the enemies of African penguins live not only in the water. On land, many dangers await them, and most of all threats arise for the future generation of birds. Eggs and newborn chicks are preyed upon by sea gulls and ibis. Of particular danger are leopards, various types of snakes and mongooses.

But, despite so many enemies, it was people who caused the greatest harm to African penguins. They not only used the eggs of birds for food, but also destroyed their habitat.

Bird lifestyle

The main food of the penguin is seafood. Their diet consists mainly of herring fry, sardines and anchovies. The average life expectancy of birds is 10-12 years. The female displays the first offspring upon reaching 4-5 years. One clutch may contain 2 eggs. Not only the female, but also the male is engaged in incubation of the chicks. For 40 days, they alternately monitor the clutch.

The chicks that were born have a gray-brown fluff, which eventually acquires a bluish tint.

On the brink of death

This species of penguins was on the verge of extinction primarily because of humans. A sharp decline in the population occurred at the beginning of the last century. In the 1920s, only on the territory of Dassin Island, the bird population was about 1.5 million individuals. The decrease in the number of penguins was due to record collections of their eggs. For about 30 years (from 1900 to 1930), 450 thousand eggs were seized annually. But 1919 turned out to be the most record-breaking year. Up to 600 thousand eggs were collected.

In 1956, the number of penguins decreased sharply, there were no more than 145 thousand individuals, and already in 1978 their number decreased to 22.4 thousand. The birds were endangered, so they were listed not only in the Red Book of South Africa, but also in international. Today, the picture has improved somewhat, and the number of birds has slightly increased, but it is very far from the figures that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century.

Interesting facts about African penguins

1. Penguins living on the coast of South Africa can be called homebodies. They do not lead a nomadic lifestyle, like some of their relatives, but prefer to stay in the places that they have chosen.
2. The habitats of African penguins have been significantly reduced due to the fact that the coastline is densely populated by people.
3. In 2000, an emergency occurred - a huge oily slick formed off the coast of South Africa due to an oil spill. Volunteer brigades were created to save the birds. People collected oil-stained birds and washed them.
4. In 1978, this bird species was on the verge of extinction. The number of penguins has decreased to 22.4 thousand individuals.
5. The cry of this bird is very similar to the sounds made by a donkey, so they are often called donkey penguins.
6. Penguins are truly champions. They are able to dive to a depth of 100 meters, accelerate in water up to 20 km / h and even hold their breath for several minutes.
7. One interesting case occurred in Tbilisi in 2015: an African penguin covered a distance of about 60 km, escaping from a zoo when a flood hit the region.

(also known as donkey penguin, or black-footed penguin, or African penguin(lat. Spheniscus demersus)) - a species of penguins from the genus spectacled penguins. Like any of the penguins, the spectacled penguin cannot fly.

Appearance

Spreading

The cries of penguins are reminiscent of donkeys. The penguin lives for 10-12 years, females usually begin to give birth to offspring at 4-5 years. The clutch consists of two eggs, which are incubated by both parents in turn for about 40 days. The chicks are covered with brownish-gray down, later with a bluish tint. The breeding season is not clearly defined, it varies depending on the place.

Reasons for disappearance and protection

Gallery

Spectacled Penguin I.jpg

Spectacled penguin at the Moscow Zoo

Spectacled Penguin II.jpg

Spectacled Penguin III.jpg

Write a review on the article "Spectacled Penguin"

Notes

Literature

• Beychek V., Stasny K. Birds. Illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Labyrinth-press, 2004. - 288 p.
• Koblik E. A. Variety of birds. Part 1. - M.: Moscow University Publishing House, 2001.
• Life of animals. In 7 volumes. T. 6. Birds. - M.: Enlightenment, 1986. - 527 p.

Links

• in the International Red Book
• , - spectacled penguin in the Krasnoyarsk Zoo

An excerpt characterizing the Spectacled Penguin

Consequently, it was only necessary for Metternich, Rumyantsev or Talleyrand, between the exit and the reception, to try hard and write a more ingenious piece of paper or write to Alexander to Napoleon: Monsieur mon frere, je consens a rendre le duche au duc d "Oldenbourg, [My lord brother, I agree return the duchy to the Duke of Oldenburg.] - and there would be no war.
It is clear that such was the case for contemporaries. It is clear that it seemed to Napoleon that the intrigues of England were the cause of the war (as he said this on the island of St. Helena); it is understandable that it seemed to the members of the English Chamber that Napoleon's lust for power was the cause of the war; that it seemed to the Prince of Oldenburg that the cause of the war was the violence committed against him; that it seemed to the merchants that the cause of the war was the continental system, which was ruining Europe, that it seemed to the old soldiers and generals that the main reason was the need to put them to work; to the legitimists of the time that it was necessary to restore les bons principes [good principles], and to the diplomats of the time that everything happened because the alliance of Russia with Austria in 1809 was not cleverly hidden from Napoleon and that a memorandum was awkwardly written for No. 178. It is clear that these and an innumerable, infinite number of reasons, the number of which depends on the innumerable difference of points of view, seemed to contemporaries; but for us, the descendants, who contemplate in all its volume the enormity of the event that has taken place and delve into its simple and terrible meaning, these reasons seem insufficient. It is incomprehensible to us that millions of Christians killed and tortured each other, because Napoleon was power-hungry, Alexander was firm, the policy of England was cunning and the Duke of Oldenburg was offended. It is impossible to understand what connection these circumstances have with the very fact of murder and violence; why, due to the fact that the duke was offended, thousands of people from the other side of Europe killed and ruined the people of Smolensk and Moscow provinces and were killed by them.
For us descendants, who are not historians, who are not carried away by the process of research and therefore contemplate the event with unobscured common sense, its causes appear in innumerable numbers. The more we delve into the search for causes, the more they are revealed to us, and every single reason or a whole series of reasons seems to us equally just in itself, and equally false in its insignificance in comparison with the enormity of the event, and equally false in its invalidity ( without the participation of all other coincident causes) to produce an accomplished event. The same reason as Napoleon's refusal to withdraw his troops beyond the Vistula and give back the Duchy of Oldenburg seems to us the desire or unwillingness of the first French corporal to enter the secondary service: for if he did not want to go to the service and would not want another, and the third , and a thousandth corporal and soldier, so much less people would be in Napoleon's army, and there could be no war.
If Napoleon had not been offended by the demand to retreat beyond the Vistula and had not ordered the troops to advance, there would have been no war; but if all the sergeants did not wish to enter the secondary service, there could also be no war. There could also be no war if there were no intrigues of England, and there would be no Prince of Oldenburg and a feeling of insult in Alexander, and there would be no autocratic power in Russia, and there would be no French revolution and the subsequent dictatorship and empire, and all that that produced the French Revolution, and so on. Without one of these reasons, nothing could have happened. Therefore, all these causes - billions of reasons - coincided in order to produce what was. And therefore, nothing was the exclusive cause of the event, and the event had to happen only because it had to happen. Millions of people, having renounced their human feelings and their minds, had to go to the East from the West and kill their own kind, just as several centuries ago crowds of people went from East to West, killing their own kind. Kingdom: Animals Phylum: Chordates Class: Birds Order: Penguins Family: Penguinidae Genus: Spectacled penguins Species: Spectacled penguin

Latin name Spheniscus demersus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Spectacled penguin. Vulnerable look. The characteristic features of the species are a kind of black "mask" bordered with white, and a narrow black stripe that crosses the top of the chest and descends along the sides of the body. In small numbers, spectacled penguins nest on the southern and southwestern coasts of Africa, but the main colonies are located on the nearest islands. At the beginning of the century, spectacled penguins were one of the mass species.

About 1.5 million birds nested on Dassen Island alone. For many years, penguin eggs were harvested on an industrial scale - until the middle of our century, hundreds of thousands of eggs annually. Uncontrolled exploitation of the colonies, the reduction of food supplies due to excessive fishing, as well as pollution of the coastal areas of the sea with oil products have led to a sharp decrease in the number of spectacled penguin.

In 1956, the total number of adult spectacled penguins in Namibia and South Africa was determined to be 295 thousand individuals; The materials of the 1978 surveys showed that about 114 thousand birds remained in these areas. Since 1969, the harvesting of eggs has been prohibited, and since 1973 this species has been taken under protection by a special act of South Africa. Several islands with penguin colonies are included in the Cape Marine Reserve.

habitats

Red List scores

Year of Publication: 2015 Date of Assessment: 2013-11-03 Endangered A2ace + 3ce + 4ace Ver 3.1

Previously published Red List scores:

2013 - Endangered (EN) At risk or disappearing 2012 - Endangered (EN) At risk or disappearing 2010 - Endangered (EN) At risk or disappearing 2008 - Vulnerable (VU) Vulnerable 2005 - Vulnerable (VU) Vulnerable 2004 - Vulnerable (VU) Vulnerable 2000 - Vulnerable (VU) Vulnerable 1994 - Lower Risk/near threatened (LR/nt) 1988 - Threatened (T)

Literature: A. A. Vinokurov Rare and endangered bird animals. Under the editorship of Academician V. E. Sokolov. IUCN Red List - https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22678129/0