Galapagos penguin: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the galapagos penguin lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Spheniscus mendiculus
Group	Penguins
Status	Endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	South America
Class	Bird
Order	Sphenisciformes
Family	Spheniscidae

Where does the galapagos penguin live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the galapagos penguin in 1 country or territory across South America. Wikidata gives its range as: South America.

Ecuador

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the galapagos penguin endangered?

The galapagos penguin’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the galapagos penguin?

The galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is a bird in the order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae, genus Spheniscus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the galapagos penguin

The Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is the only penguin found north of the equator. Most inhabit Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island. The cool waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents allow it to survive despite the tropical latitude. The Galápagos penguin is one of the banded penguins, the other species of which live mostly on the coasts of Africa and mainland South America. Due to their warm environment, Galápagos penguins have developed techniques to stay cool. The feathers on their back, flippers, and head are black, and they have a white belly and a stripe looping from their eyes down to their neck and chin. Each penguin keeps only one mate, and breeds year-round. Because there are no soft areas to nest, their nests are typically in caves and crevices which also provide protection against predators and the harsh environment. The Galápagos penguin has a lifespan of 20 years, but due to predation, life expectancy in the wild could be significantly reduced. They have been critically impacted to the point of endangerment by climate change and pollution caused by plastic waste due to tourism and urbanization.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Galapagos penguin (revision 1380997451), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q206668 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).