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A Magellanic penguin with black-and-white stripes standing by its burrow.
Photo: Polinova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Magellanic Penguin

Spheniscus magellanicus

A burrow-nesting penguin of the coasts of Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands, named for the Strait of Magellan.

🐧 Penguins
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About the Magellanic Penguin

Magellanic penguins live along the coasts of southern Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. A white stripe curves from each eye around the head, and adults have a black band across the chest. Their wings work like flippers, pushing them through the water at up to 15 miles per hour. They eat squid, cuttlefish and sardines. Not all penguins live in icy places; this one's home is not much colder than northern California.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Spheniscus magellanicus[1]
Lifespan
About 25 years in the wild. Up to 30 in human care.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Squid, cuttlefish and sardines.[1]
Habitat
Rocky shores and the open ocean.[1]
Where it lives
Southern Chile, the Patagonian coast of Argentina and the Falkland Islands.[1]
Group life
Large groups at sea; crowded nesting colonies.[1]
Babies
Two eggs in a burrow, incubated 40 to 42 days by both parents.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • Penguins can drink sea water; a special gland removes the salt.[1]
  • Swimming penguins often leap out of the water to breathe, called "porpoising."[1]
  • All 17 kinds of penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.[1]

Vocabulary

countershading
Coloring that is dark on top and light underneath, which helps hide an animal.
flipper
A flat limb used for swimming.
burrow
A hole or tunnel dug in the ground by an animal.
colony
A large group of animals of one kind that live or nest together.
molt
To shed old feathers, fur or skin and grow new ones.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Magellanic Penguin.” https://www.sfzoo.org/magellanic-penguin/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Spheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic Penguin).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697822/157428850 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.