Determined to keep global warming from finally tipping the odds too heavily against the survival of the planet's penguins, the Center filed a scientific petition back in to gain Endangered Species Act protection for 12 of the most imperiled penguin species. Four long years and several Center lawsuits later, the Interior Department announced the simultaneous listing of five penguins as threatened under the Endangered Species Act: the Humboldt penguin of Chile and Peru, as well as four from New Zealand — the yellow-eyed, white-flippered, Fiordland crested and erect-crested penguins.
Soon after, the African penguin was listed as endangered and the New Zealand-Australia populations of the southern rockhopper penguin were listed as threatened. After another Center petition , in the Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the emperor penguin might warrant Endangered Species Act protection. Meanwhile, the Center is also on the frontlines of the fight for sounder, saner state and national climate policy and the swift, dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions necessary to curb the global warming that threatens all penguins.
Get the latest on our work for biodiversity and learn how to help in our free weekly e-newsletter. The Center for Biological Diversity is a c 3 registered charitable organization. Emperor penguins are the only penguin species to breed during the cold, dark Antarctic winter. After laying a single egg, the female leaves the male in charge of the egg while she takes a long hunting trip.
Rather than sit on the egg like most birds, the male balances the egg on his feet, protected and kept warm in feathered skin called a brood pouch. Join the community of Species Champions supporting our work to prevent extinctions. Become a member and join a worldwide community of bird lovers, working to make a real difference. Visit English Site Stay on current site.
Skip to Content arrow-down arrow-top-right email facebook linkedin location magnify pinterest print reddit search-button-close search-button triangle twitter. Menu Close. Clear Search Press enter for results. Donate to BirdLife International. Share Family: Spheniscidae Diet: Carnivore Life span: 15—20 years Weight: 1 — 40 kg Group name: colony, rookery, or waddle on land , raft at sea.
Species information Learn more about each species of penguin and all other birds on our Datazone. Both the African penguin and the Humboldt penguin have been impacted by overfishing of their primary food source — sardines and anchovies. Krill, the primary food source for many penguin species in the Antarctic region, is commercially fished for aquaculture feed and human nutritional supplements. Should this industry expand, it could severely impact the survival of penguins that depend on this resource.
Friend of the Sea verifies the good management of the krill and small pelagics fisheries. This has severely impacted nesting success on many island colonies around southern Africa, exposing breeding African penguins to heat stress, forcing them to abandon their nests and leave their eggs or chicks vulnerable to predation by gulls, or to succumb to the elements.
Guano harvesting is now banned globally, but the impacts are still being felt today. The introduction of herbivores such as rabbits and sheep have also taken their toll at some colonies, destroying vital habitat that provides shade and protection from predators. Introduced predators such as rats, ferrets, cats, dogs and pigs, which are known to feed on penguin eggs, chicks, and even adults, have had a devastating impact at some penguin colonies.
Environmental Consequences. Possible Solutions to save the penguins. Fisheries Management — Closing fishing grounds around breeding colonies is one possible solution. Creating Marine Protected Areas around penguin colonies will protect schooling fish in these protected areas, reduce competition with fisheries, and result in there being more fish available for penguins to feed on. This will not only help to reduce adult mortality from both starvation and entanglement in fishing gear, but should also improve breeding success — especially if combined with other strategies to improve chick survival rates.
Improving Fishing Practices — The killing of penguins in fishing nets can be reduced by educating and working with the fishing industry to implement new technologies and best practices that limit the incidental bycatch of penguins. The provision of artificial nest boxes and burrows that provide shelter from hot and cold and protection from predators is one possible solution. Studies conducted at African penguin breeding sites in South Africa and Namibia have shown that artificial nest boxes increased breeding success at the study sites.
Hand-rearing Chicks — Many African penguin chicks die of starvation after being abandoned during heat waves, or due to molting coinciding with breeding. Conservation organizations are now stepping in to rescue orphaned chicks, which are then hand-reared and released back into the wild when they reach fledgling age.
WSO's Activities and Initiatives. Call to action to save the penguins. Friend of the Sea encourages sustainable fishing companies and suppliers of sustainable products derived from this industry to come on board and apply for certification. Consumers are increasingly becoming more environmentally aware and choosing sustainable produce over less sustainable alternatives on offer. Friend of the Sea certification promotes sustainability by making consumers more aware and providing a mechanism for companies to promote their efforts at conserving environmental integrity.
Once certified, Friend of the Sea will assist companies to market products that meet the certification standards. Consumers are encouraged to look for Friend of the Sea certified products when shopping.
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