Spheniscus chilensis (SciiFii)

The Chilean penguin (Spheniscus chilensis), also known as the Peruvian penguin and the Patagonian penguin, is a species of banded penguin (Spheniscus) that originally lived in Chile during the Late Miocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern coastlines of Chile, Patagonia, Peru, and Argentina to help boost biodiversity. The Chilean penguins are medium-sized penguins which grow to be 61–76 centimeters (24–30 inches) tall and weigh between 2.9 and 6 kilograms (6.4 to 13.2 lbs). The males are larger than the females, and the weight of both drops while the parents raise their young. Chilean penguins feed in the water, preying on cuttlefish, squid, krill, and other crustaceans, and ingest sea water with their prey. Their salt-excreting gland rids the salt from their bodies. Adult Chilean penguins can regularly dive to depths of between 20 m to 50 m deep in order to forage for prey. During the breeding season males and females have similar foraging and diving patterns as well as diet composition, however bone tissue analysis suggests that diets diverge post-season when limitations imposed by chick rearing are removed. Chilean penguins travel in large flocks when hunting for food. In the breeding season, these birds gather in large nesting colonies at the coasts of Argentina, Peru, Patagonia, and Chile. The breeding season begins with the arrival of adult Chilean penguins at the breeding colonies in September and extends into late February and March when the chicks are mature enough to leave the colonies. Nests are built under bushes or in burrows. Two eggs are laid. Incubation lasts 39–42 days, a task which the parents share in 10- to 15-day shifts. The chicks are cared for by both parents for 29 days and are fed every two to three days. Normally, both are raised through adulthood, though occasionally only one chick is raised. A successful Chilean is considered to be able to raise 0.7 chicks on average per breeding season. Chilean penguins lay eggs in warm places where the temperature remains over 20 °C. The male and female penguins take turns hatching, as they forage far away from their nests. The males return from the sea on the day the second egg is laid to take their turn incubating The second eggs are generally larger and with higher temperature than the first egg. The first one is more likely to survive, but under some conditions both chicks may be raised successfully. Male and female Chilean penguins overlap in the at-sea areas they use whilst foraging, and show only small difference in foraging behaviours during early chick-rearing. Chilean penguins mate with the same partner year after year. The male reclaims his burrow from the previous year and waits to reconnect with his female partner. The females are able to recognize their mates through their call alone. Once the breeding season is complete, Chilean penguins migrate north for the winter, where they feed in waters offshore from Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Brazil. The conservation status of the Chilean penguin is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the Chilean penguin's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii