Order: Sphenisciformes, Family: Spheniscidae, Genus: Spheniscus

Height: Approximately 70 cm

Male Weight: 4.6 kg, Female Weight: 4.0 kg

Male Beak Length: 19.5 cm, Female Beak Length: 18.6 cm

The Magellanic Penguin, also known as the Magellan Penguin, will be referred to as 'Magellanic Penguin' throughout this page.

The appearance of the Magellanic Penguin features a black top from the crown to the back and a belly side composed of black and white feathers, with two black bands around the neck. The area around the eyes is featherless and thus appears pink. The beak is thick and black, and the feet are also completely black. Males and females look very similar, making them hard to distinguish, though males are generally larger.

Similar to the African Penguin and the Humboldt Penguin in appearance, a simple way to distinguish them is by the neck band: a single band and a completely black base of the beak indicate an African Penguin, while a pink base suggests a Humboldt Penguin.

Magellanic Penguins arrive on the Atlantic coast of South America and places like Punta Tombo around September to October to start nesting and forming colonies. They dig into the ground or under vegetation, using twigs and grass as a cushion. Males arrive slightly earlier than females, who start mating after finding a preferred partner, forming strong pair bonds.

Females typically lay two eggs, and both parents take turns incubating. The total incubation period lasts 39-42 days, leading to the hatching of chicks. After hatching, chicks are brooded by their parents for about 29 days and are fed every 1-3 days until they become independent. Unlike other penguins, Magellanic Penguins rarely form crèches (nurseries) for chicks.

After about 70 days, chicks grow to the size of adults and are ready to leave the nest. Initially covered in fluffy down, they gradually shed this as adult feathers grow in, including the distinctive eye markings that change from black to pink as they mature.