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Humboldt Penguins "EMPOWER IAS"

In news:

  • Last week, Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo announced the addition of two new Humboldt penguin chicks this year.

Humboldt Penguins

  • Humboldt penguins are medium-sized species among at least 17 species.
  • The exact number of distinct species is debated, but it is generally agreed that there are between 17 and 19 species.
  • The largest, the Emperor penguin, stands at over 4 ft tall while the Little penguin has a maximum height of 1 ft. Humboldt penguins have an average height of just over 2 ft.
  • The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus Humboldt) belongs to a genus that is commonly known as the ‘banded’ group.’

Relation with the Humboldt Oceanic Current

  • Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru.
  • They are so named because their habitat is located near the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterized by cold waters.