Facts about African penguin
- 06
Weighing between 2.2 and 3.3 kilograms, African penguins are the smallest penguin species found on the African continent.
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Black and white plumage in African penguins provides countershading camouflage, with dark backs blending into ocean depths and white bellies matching light filtering from above.
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Hunting for fish and squid at depths up to 120 meters makes African penguins among the deepest-diving penguin species in the world.
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Braying calls from African penguins can reach 100 decibels, allowing mates to recognize each other across noisy breeding colonies.
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Penguin colonies in South Africa's Boulders Beach number around 3,000 individuals, making it the only penguin colony on mainland Africa accessible to tourists.
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Only about 41,700 African penguin breeding pairs remain in the wild today, making them one of Africa's most endangered birds.