The Penguin is amongst the most unique taxa of birds in the world. These flightless, aquatic birds are highly adept swimmers, having adapted to spending half their lives underwater. Penguins, with the aid of flippers and their streamlined bodies are known to swim over 20 kilometres an hour in seas while hunting for prey.
There are currently between 17 to 19 species of penguins globally, almost all of which are found exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. The range of penguins extends across Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and South America. The Galapagos Penguins are the only species naturally found north of the Equator. Larger penguin species tend to inhabit colder regions while their smaller counterparts prefer more temperate and tropical landscapes.
Currently, according to the IUCN Red List, the conservation status of the numerous penguin species ranges from “Least Concern” to “Endangered”. Climate change, and the associated melting of ice caps, remain the primary threat to penguins, particularly for the species found in Antarctica. A WWF study estimated that a 2-degree increase in global temperature from pre-industrial levels will result in a 50% and 75% reduction in Emperor and Adelie penguins respectively.
An additional threat to penguins is commercial fishing. The overexploitation of fish stocks in the Southern Ocean severely diminishes the prey base for penguins. Moreover, penguins regularly fall victim to bycatch.
In this episode, I interview P. Dee Boersma to discuss the conservation of penguins. Dee is the co-chair of the IUCN Penguin Specialist Group and the founder of the Centre of Ecosystem Sentinels. She is also a professor at the University of Washington. She is the author of Penguins: Natural History and Conservation and Invasive Species in the Pacific Northwest In this conversation, Dee elaborates on her extensive career working with penguins, and in particular the Magellanic penguin.
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