Birds
African Penguin
Spheniscus demersus · also called jackass penguin
Braying like a donkey along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia, an African penguin is the only penguin species to breed on the African continent, its population having collapsed by more than 95 percent over the past century.
Overview
The African penguin, Spheniscus demersus, is a Critically Endangered seabird native to coastal and ocean habitat along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. Its distinctive donkey-like call, status as Africa’s only breeding penguin species, and catastrophic population collapse make it one of the most urgently threatened penguin species found anywhere in the world.
A collapse measured in generations
Once numbering in the millions, the African penguin has lost the overwhelming majority of its population within living memory, a decline steep enough that researchers now warn the species could vanish from the wild entirely without sustained, urgent conservation action.
Status
Critically Endangered, with populations having collapsed by more than 95 percent over the past century due to historical exploitation and ongoing competition with commercial fishing.
African Penguin: common questions
Why is the African penguin also called the jackass penguin?
This species produces a loud, braying call closely resembling that of a donkey, a distinctive vocalisation that gave the species one of its alternative common names.
Is the African penguin the only penguin species in Africa?
Yes, this species is the only penguin species that breeds on the African continent, found nowhere else in the world as a native breeding bird.
Why has the African penguin declined so severely?
This species has experienced a population decline of more than 95 percent over the past century, driven by historical egg collection, guano mining, and more recently competition with commercial fishing for the small fish it depends on.
What is the pink patch above an African penguin's eye for?
This species has a patch of bare, pink skin above each eye that flushes with blood to help the bird regulate its body temperature, particularly useful given the warmer coastal climate it inhabits compared with many other penguin species.