PinguinWissen.de – English
This page provides general information and a list of all recent species with photos. I also compare the penguin species in weight, size, egg size and IUCN status on an extra page (see menu).
There are 18 different penguin species (reference: International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN). Confusingly, some scientists insist that there are more or less than 18 species. For example, they state the Rockhopper Penguin as two different species, the Southern and Northern Rockhopper Penguin, while other scientists arrange them as subspecies.
The same problem comes up for the White-flippered Penguin. It is sonetimes classified as an own species or subspecies of the Little Blue Penguin.
The smallest penguin is the Little Blue Penguin, it is only 30 centimeter tall. The Emperor Penguin reaches the maximum size of all recent penguins, it can grow over one meter! The extinct Pachydyptes ponderosus could even achieve a size of 1.60 meter.
All penguin species are living predominantly on the southern hemisphere. They are distributed from Antarctica till equatorial regions like the Galapagos Islands. So, penguins do not live at antarctic regions in perpetual ice exclusively - contrary to what many people have in mind.
Today almost two thirds of the penguin species are listed as "vulnerable" or even as "endangered" by the IUCN. That is why conservation is very important!
In the following overview of all penguin species the IUCN status is also mentioned:
Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Chordata (Chordates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus Great Penguins (Aptenodytes)
Photographed by: Ian Duffy (UK)
Source: Wikipedia
Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)
Antarctic continent
Status: near threatened
Photographed by: Katrin Opitz
Tierpark Hagenbeck, Hamburg, Germany
King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
Surrounded islands of Antarctica
Status: least concern
Genus Brush-tailed Penguins (Pygoscelis)
Photographed by: Brent J. Sinclair
Source: Wikipedia
Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Antarctic peninsula, subantarctic islands
Status: least concern
Photographed by: Katrin Opitz
Zoo Munich, Germany
Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
Antarctic peninsula, subantarctic islands
Status: least concern
Photographed by: Gilad Rom (Israel)
Source: Wikipedia
Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)
Antarctic peninsula, subantarctic islands
Status: least concern
Genus Crested Penguins (Eudyptes)
Photographed by: Thomas Mattern
Source: Wikipedia
Fiordland Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)
Western coast of the Southern Island of New Zealand, Stewart Island
Status: near threatened
Photographed by: Thomas Mattern
Source: Wikipedia
Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus)
Snares Islands
Status: vulnerable
Photographed by: C00ch
Source: Wikipedia
Erect-crested Penguin (Eudyptes sclateri)
Antipodes Islands, Bounty Islands, Auckland Islands
Status: endangered
Photographed by: Hullwarren
Source: Wikipedia
Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli)
Macquarie Island
Status: near threatened
Photographed by: Jerzy Strzelecki
Source: Wikipedia
Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
Antarctic peninsula, subantarctic islands
Status: vulnerable
Photographed by: Katrin Opitz
"Rocky" at SANCCOB in Cape Town, South Africa
Northern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes moseleyi)
Tristan da Cunha island group, Gough Island, Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands
Status: endangered
Photographed by: Samuel Blanc
www.sblanc.com
Quelle: Wikipedia
Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)
Surrounded islands of Antarctica
Status: vulnerable
Genus Megadyptes
Photographed by: Christian Mehlführer
Source: Wikipedia
Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)
Stewart Island, Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, southern part of the Southern Island of New Zealand
Status: endangered
Genus Banded Penguins (Spheniscus)
Photographed by: Katrin Opitz
Zoo Bremerhaven, Germany
Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
Peru, Chile
Status: vulnerable
Photographed by: Katrin Opitz
Boulders Beach, South Africa
African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
Namibia, Western and Eastern Cape of South Africa and surrounded islands (e.g. Robben Island, Dassen Island, St Croix Island)
Status: endangered
Photographed by: Guglielmo Celata
Source: Wikipedia
Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)
Southern Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, Southern Chile, Falkland Islands
Status: least concern
Photographed by: putneymark
Source: Wikipedia
Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)
Galapagos Islands
Status: endangered
Genus Little Blue Penguins (Eudyptula)
Photographed by: Magnus Kjaergaard
Source: Wikipedia
Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
Southern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and surrounded islands
Status: least concern
Last update of IUCN status: January 2022.
Source: website of IUCN Redlist
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Last update: 19.01.2021
Currently under construction: Design and texts.