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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Spheniscidae (penguins)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class: Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) > Tetrapoda (four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota > Reptilia (reptiles) > Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria > Dinosauria (dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves (birds) > Order: Ciconiiformes

Species indigenous to southern Africa

Aptenodytes patagonicus (King penguin) 

Breeds on subantarctic islands. Vagrant in southern African waters.

Eudyptes chrysocome (Rockhopper penguin) 

Breeds on subantarctic islands. The commonest of the vagrant subantarctic species of penguins in southern African waters.

Eudyptes chrysolophus (Macaroni penguin) 

Breeds on subantarctic islands. Vagrant in southern African waters.

Pygoscelis papua (Gentoo penguin) 

Breeds on subantarctic islands. Vagrant in southern African waters.

Spheniscus demersus (African penguin, Jackass penguin) 

The only breeding species of penguin found round the coast of South Africa and Namibia. 

Spheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)