{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "african-penguin",
  "name": "African Penguin",
  "scientificName": "Spheniscus demersus",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is the only penguin that breeds in Africa, nesting on the coasts and islands of South Africa and Namibia. It has a black chest band, black spots on a white belly and pink skin above the eyes. In 2024 it was listed as Critically Endangered, because competition with fisheries and shifting fish stocks have caused an extremely rapid decline to about 19,800 mature birds.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Identification",
      "body": "African penguins are black and white with a horseshoe-shaped white band running from the eyes around the cheeks, a black band across the chest and a scatter of black spots on the belly that is different for every bird. Bare pink skin above each eye helps them lose heat in the sun."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Where they live",
      "body": "They breed only along the coast of southern Namibia and South Africa, mostly on offshore islands, with famous mainland colonies at Boulders Beach near Simon's Town and Stony Point at Betty's Bay. They feed in the cold, nutrient-rich Benguela Current."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Why the population collapsed",
      "body": "BirdLife International lists the African penguin as Critically Endangered (2024) because of an extremely rapid decline, probably caused mainly by competition with commercial fisheries for sardines and anchovies and by climate-related shifts in where those fish occur. Historical guano and egg collection had already removed much of the population."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What is being done",
      "body": "Conservation work includes closing fishing around key colonies, artificial nest boxes to replace lost guano burrows, rescue and rehabilitation of oiled and abandoned birds, and efforts to set up new colonies. With about 19,800 mature birds left, the species is at real risk of extinction in the wild."
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Why is it called a jackass penguin?",
      "answer": "Its loud, braying call sounds like a donkey. That old name was replaced by 'African penguin' because several South American penguins bray too."
    },
    {
      "question": "Is the African penguin endangered?",
      "answer": "Yes. It was uplisted to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2024, making it the first penguin species in that category."
    },
    {
      "question": "How many African penguins are left?",
      "answer": "BirdLife International's 2024 assessment estimates about 19,800 mature individuals, and the number is falling."
    },
    {
      "question": "Where can you see African penguins?",
      "answer": "At colonies in South Africa such as Boulders Beach in Simon's Town and Stony Point in Betty's Bay."
    }
  ],
  "sourceUpdate": null,
  "evidence": [],
  "conservationStatus": "Critically Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Sphenisciformes",
    "family": "Spheniscidae",
    "genus": "Spheniscus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 3.1,
    "lengthM": 0.45,
    "topSpeedKmh": 0,
    "lifespanYears": 18
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Spheniscus demersus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Other names",
      "value": "Cape penguin, jackass penguin"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Sardines, anchovies and other small shoaling fish"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Rocky islands and coasts with cool, food-rich seas"
    },
    {
      "label": "Height",
      "value": "About 45 cm"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Average about 3.1 kg"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–27 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Coasts and offshore islands of southern Namibia and South Africa.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: African Penguin Spheniscus demersus. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.",
      "url": "https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/african-penguin-spheniscus-demersus"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web: Spheniscus demersus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Spheniscus_demersus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.",
      "url": "https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-penguin/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-penguin/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}