Birds Active during the day

Humboldt Penguin

Spheniscus humboldti

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

The Humboldt Penguin is a charismatic 'desert' penguin that calls the rugged Pacific coast of South America home. Known for its distinctive braying call and incredible swimming agility, this vulnerable species is a true icon of the Humboldt Current.

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Quick Identification

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Size

65-70 cm (26-28 in) in length; 3.6-5.9 kg (8-13 lbs)

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Colors

Slate-black upperparts, white underparts, a single black breast band, and pink fleshy patches around the eyes and bill.

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Key Features

Single horseshoe-shaped black breast band
Pink fleshy skin at the base of the bill
Large white 'C' shape bordering the side of the head
Unique black spots on the white belly

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 6-9 AM and 4-7 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Primarily schooling fish such as anchovies, sardines, and silversides, along with squid and small crustaceans.

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Habitat Rocky coastal shores, islands, and sea caves within reach of the cold Humboldt Current.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Humboldt Penguin Live?

The Humboldt Penguin is native to the South American continent, predominantly found along the Pacific coastlines. Its core range spans from northern Peru down through the central coast of Chile, dictated largely by the path of the nutrient-rich, cold Humboldt Current. While they are occasionally found as far south as the Chiloe Archipelago, they remain a strictly South American species with no introduced populations elsewhere in the wild.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

2 Countries

345K km² Range

Vulnerable Conservation

CL Chile PE Peru

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

Humboldt Penguins are highly social marine birds that thrive in colonies. Unlike Antarctic penguins, they are 'desert' penguins, often nesting in burrows they excavate from thick guano deposits or in natural sea caves along the arid coastlines of South America. They are famous for their vocalizations, which sound remarkably like a braying donkey, used to establish territory and communicate with mates.

While they appear clumsy and waddle with a distinct side-to-side gait on land, they transform into sleek, powerful hunters once they hit the water. They use their stiff, flipper-like wings to 'fly' through the ocean, reaching impressive speeds to chase down schooling fish. They are generally monogamous and show high site fidelity, meaning they return to the same nesting site year after year to raise their chicks.

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Camera Tips

To capture the best footage of Humboldt Penguins, you should position your camera along 'penguin highways'—the well-worn paths these birds use to travel between their nesting burrows and the sea. Set your camera low to the ground, roughly 12 to 15 inches high, to get intimate, eye-level shots of their unique waddling walk and belly patterns.

Because these penguins are most active during the 'rush hours' of dawn and dusk when they leave for or return from fishing trips, a camera with high-quality low-light sensors or invisible 'No-Glow' infrared flash is essential. Standard white flash might startle the birds and disrupt their colony's peace. Set your trigger speed to the fastest possible setting, as they can be surprisingly quick when moving across open rock.

Avoid using any form of bait or lures, as this can attract predators like foxes or gulls that threaten penguin chicks. Instead, look for natural bottlenecks in the terrain, such as narrow gaps between boulders or the entrance to a sea cave. For the most interesting behavior, use video mode to capture their 'braying' displays, but ensure your camera housing is salt-rated or protected, as the coastal air where these penguins live is highly corrosive to electronics.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Humboldt Penguin.

Magellanic Penguin

Has two black breast bands instead of one and lacks the prominent pink facial patches of the Humboldt.

African Penguin

Found only on the coasts of southern Africa; it has a slightly different spotting pattern and a narrower black breast band.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Humboldt Penguins are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. However, their highest periods of visible activity occur at dawn when they head out to the ocean to hunt and at dusk when the colony returns to their burrows to rest and feed chicks.

Unless you live directly on the rocky coastlines of Chile or Peru, you cannot attract them to a typical backyard. They require proximity to the cold, fish-rich waters of the Humboldt Current and specific rocky or guano-rich nesting sites.

Their diet is almost entirely marine-based, consisting of small schooling fish like anchovies and sardines, as well as squid and occasionally small crustaceans found in the cold Pacific waters.

No, they are strictly coastal birds. While they may live near small fishing villages or coastal towns in South America, they avoid heavily developed suburban or inland areas, preferring rugged, isolated shorelines.

The easiest way to distinguish them is by the breast bands. Humboldt Penguins have a single black U-shaped band, while Magellanic Penguins have two black bands across their chest. Additionally, Humboldts have more prominent pink fleshy patches on their faces.

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