The penguins are a group of flightless seabirds within which we can distinguish approximately between 17 and 19 species, although all of them have in common several characteristics, such as the distribution, which is centered in the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere.
This is a bird that does not have the ability to fly and is characterized by a clumsy and unbalanced gait, which is why the first Europeans who discovered them called them "child birds" and "silly birds ".
If you are curious about these nice birds, in this article on our site we will discover where we can find penguins.
Penguin Distribution
Penguins only live in the southern hemisphere, but this location is compatible with all continents. Some species live near the equator and generally any species can change its distribution and migrate further north when not in breeding season.
If you want to know where the penguins live, below we will show you all the geographical areas inhabited by these endearing birds:
- Galapagos Islands
- Coasts of Antarctica and New Zealand
- South Australia
- South Africa
- Subantarctic Islands
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Chili
- Patagonia Argentina
- West Coast of South America
As we can see, there are multiple places where penguins live, however, it is true that the largest population of penguins is in Antarcticaand on all nearby islands.
Penguin Habitat
Habitat will vary depending on the particular species of penguin, as some penguins can live in frigid environments while others prefer a colder habitat. warmer, in any case, the habitat of the penguin must fulfill important functions, such as providing this bird with adequate food.
Generally penguins live on thick layers of ice and they must always be near the sea in order to hunt and feed, for this reason they live usually near cold water currents, in fact, the penguin spends much of its time in the water, as its anatomy and physiology are specially designed for this.
Let's avoid the extinction of the penguins
There are laws that protect penguins since 1959, however, these laws are not always followed and it is sad evidence that day after day the populations of the different species of penguins are progressively decreasing.
The main reasons for this risk of extinction are hunting, oil spills and the natural destruction of their habitat, and believe it or not, we all have in our hands the possibility of protecting these beautiful birds.
Global warming is destroying part of the natural habitat of penguins and if we all become aware we can reduce the damage resulting from this phenomenon, although it is not reversible, it requires urgent measures to minimize its serious consequences.
