Can penguins live in warm weather?

There is no doubt that many popular penguin species live on ice flows and survive on fish captured in chilly southern waters. However, there are many penguins that live and/or breed in much warmer conditions.

The Galapagos Penguin lives only in the Galapagos Archipelago, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in South America. It is the only penguin found north of the Equator. It survives in Galapagos only because of the cold waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents. Some 90% of Galapagos penguins live on the western islands of Isabela and Fernandina. These birds have special adaptations that help them survive in the warm climate. They cool off either by going into the water or by stretching out their flippers, while hunching over and forward to keep the sun’s rays off their feet.

The Magellanic penguin is found in South America, breeding on the coasts of Argentina, Chile and the Falkland islands. This medium sized penguin, weighing between 6 and 14 pounds, subsists primarily on a steady diet of fish, squid, and krill and can live up to 25 years in the wild. It nests in huge colonies. Nests consist of burrows or under bushes and incubation lasts 39-42 days. Parents share in incubation, taking 10-15 day shifts. These penguins mate for life. Typically, the male reclaims his nest site at the beginning of the breeding season and, when the female arrives, she can recognize her mate solely on the basis of his calls.