Spheniscus muizoni (SciiFii)

The black-faced penguin (Spheniscus muizoni) is a species of penguin that originally lived in Peru during the Late Miocene and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern coastlines of Peru, Argentina, and Chile to help boost biodiversity. Females are usually smaller than males. Black-faced penguins have a black head, hence their names, with a very thin white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear coverts and chin, to join on the throat. The top of the beaks are black and fade into white and pink on the bottom. They have a single black band across the breast that connect to the back. Juveniles differ in having a wholly dark head, grayer on side and chin, and no breast band. The black-faced penguin weighs between 3,500 to 3,800 grams (7.7 to 8.4 lbs), making it smaller than the Magellanic penguin at 4,500 grams (9.9 lbs) and distinctly smaller than the Humboldt penguin, but larger than the Galapagos penguin, which has a body mass of 2,500 grams (5.5 lbs). Black-faced penguins eat small schooling fish, mainly mullet and sardines, and sometimes crustaceans. They normally range only a few kilometers from their breeding sites, depending on the cold, nutrient-rich currents to bring them food. Each black-faced penguin keeps only one mate, and breeds year-round. Their nests are typically in caves and crevices as protection against predators and the harsh environment. The black-faced penguin has a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, but due to predation, life expectancy in the wild could be significantly reduced. The conservation status of the black-faced penguin is Near Threatened due to some habitat loss, pollution, and historic persecution throughout competition for fish, however, thanks to the conservationists, the black-faced penguin is a protected species.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii