 the magellanic penguin (spheniscus magellanicus) is a south american penguin, breeding in coastal argentina, chile and the falkland islands, with some migrating to brazil where they are occasionally seen as far north as rio de janeiro. it is the most numerous of the spheniscus penguins. its nearest relatives are the african, the humboldt and the galÃ¡pagos penguins. the magellanic penguin was named after portuguese explorer ferdinand magellan, who spotted the birds in 1520. == description == thumb|left|magellanic penguin on argentina's coast  magellanic penguins are medium-sized penguins which grow to be 61â76&nbsp;cm (24â30&nbsp;in) tall and weigh between 2.7&nbsp;kg and 6.5&nbsp;kg (5.9-14.3&nbsp;lbs).bbc.co.ukanswers-.penguin the males are larger than the females, and the weight of both drops while the parents nurture their young. adults have black backs and white abdomens. there are two black bands between the head and the breast, with the lower band shaped in an inverted horseshoe. the head is black with a broad white border that runs from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, and joins at the throat. chicks and younger penguins have grey-blue backs, with a more faded grey-blue colour on their chest. magellanic penguins can live up to 25 years in the wild, but as much as 30 years in captivity. young birds usually have a blotched pattern on their feet, which fades as they grow up into adulthood. by the time these birds reach about ten years of age, their feet usually become all black. like other species of penguins, the magellanic penguin has very rigid wings used to swim under water. == diet == magellanic penguins feed in the water, preying on cuttlefish, squid, krill, and other crustaceans, and ingest sea water with their prey. their [[supraorbital gland|salt-excreting glan
Animals_described_in_1781 Birds_of_Argentina Birds_of_Chile Birds_of_Patagonia Flightless_birds IUCN_Red_List_near_threatened_species Penguins Spheniscus