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Collection  >  Order (Birds)  >  Order Information (Sphenisciformes)

Sphenisciformes

Sphenisciformes, from Greek σφηνίσκος (sphēnískos, “small wedge”) and Latin -fōrmis (“-shaped”), in reference to the shape of their wings.

Penguins.

Photos

DISTRIBUTION

Mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.

SIZE

They range from 30–33 cm tall and weigh 1.2–1.3 kg, up to 1.1 m tall and weigh 35 kg.

MORPHOLOGY

They are elongated in body and have a huge head and short neck. Their tails are wedge-shaped, short, and rigid. They have an erect stance on land because their webbed feet and legs are positioned far back on the torso. They have developed flippers from their wings. They have white fronts on their wings and black backs to help them blend in with their surroundings underwater. They stay warm because of their dense coat of insulating feathers.

ECOLOGY & HABITAT

Marine coastal areas of the southern hemisphere; one species found at the equator.

DIET

Having mainly a piscivorous diet, they feed most on anchovies, pilchards, cuttlefish, squid, and krill.

REPRODUCTION

The majority of the time, they breed in enormous colonies. During the breeding season, they form monogamous partnerships, yet the pace at which the same pair recouples varies greatly. While some species only lay one egg in a clutch, most of them lay two. Except for one species, where the male does all incubation tasks, all of them share this responsibility. While one of the couple feeds at sea, these incubation shifts can extend for several days or even weeks.

REFERENCES

del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A. (2010). Handbook of the Birds of the World Series. Lynx Edicions.

Lovette, I. J., Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2016). Handbook of Bird Biology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

Total species known

18

Species in the collection

2

Species in Hong Kong

0

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