About Penguins from Chile

Penguins are found all along the western and eastern coasts of South America. Chile is home to many of these penguins, with four types of penguins using its coastline as breeding grounds. Humboldt, Macaroni, Magellanic and Rockhopper penguins all make their home along the coast of Chile. While the number of penguins living in this region is significant, the population have become threatened by overfishing and oil spills.

Types

There are four species of penguins found in Chile: Magellanic, Humboldt, Macaroni and Southern Rockhopper. These four species are from two major groups. The Magellanic and Humboldt penguins are both from the Spheniscus group and the Macaroni and Southern Rockhopper penguins are from the Eudyptes group.

Geography

Four types of penguins are found throughout Chile. Most of the penguin population is found along the southern coast of the country. Rockhopper penguins are found around the southern tip of South America on offshore islands. Macaroni penguins are also found on the southern coast of Chile, but their population does not extend as far North as the Rockhopper population. Magellanic penguins are found throughout the southern beaches of Chile and Argentina. The Humboldt penguins population is mostly confined to the northern shores of Chile and into Peru.

Size

The four types of penguin found in Chile are all about the same size. The smallest is the Rockhopper penguin. This penguin is roughly 52 centimeters tall and weighs about 3 kilograms. The Magellanic and Humboldt penguins are the same size and are 70 centimeters tall and weigh four kilograms. The largest of the Chilean penguins is the Macaroni penguin. This penguin is 70 centimeters tall, like the Magellanic and Humboldt, but weights more at 5.5 kilograms.

Identification

Each of the four types of penguins found in Chile have unique patterns that help scientists identify them. Rockhopper penguins have a yellow stripe above each eye that turns into a yellow crest. Macaroni penguins have a distinctive golden crest that extends from the crown of the head to just above the eyes. Their beaks are a brownish-red color with pink exposed skin underneath. Magellanic penguins are black with a white stripe around the face and body.
Humboldt penguins appear similar to Magellanic penguins, except that their two stripes form one large stripe under the chin. They also have a slightly larger bill than the Magellanic penguin. In all four types of penguins, the female and male look almost exactly the same, except females are typically slightly smaller.

Considerations

Most of the penguin populations around Chile live in very secluded areas off the coast of the South America continent that are not easily accessible to tourists. This seclusion helps protect the penguins from human threats and puts them closer to their food supply. In places where it is possible for tourists to view the penguins, fences help protect the penguins and keep their anxiety levels low.
The populations of penguins in Chile have been dwindling in recent years. Due to overfishing, many of the penguin populations throughout Chile are on the threatened and vulnerable animal list. A large population of penguins in Chile are killed every year due to oil spills that occur off the coast of Argentina.