Chile's Humboldt penguins could face extinction as population plummets

The Humboldt penguin population has dramatically decreased in areas along the central coast of Chile, making them one of the most vulnerable of the world’s 18 penguin species and putting them at risk of extinction, experts warn.

SANTIAGO — The Humboldt penguin population has dramatically decreased in areas along the central coast of Chile, making them one of the most vulnerable of the world’s 18 penguin species and putting them at risk of extinction, experts warn.

Last year, scientists surveyed two islands off the central Chilean coast and detected 842 breeding pairs or active nests. This year they found just one breeding pair.

Paulina Arce, a veterinarian who specializes in penguins, says that penguin populations in all islands surveyed decreased or remained the same.

“This could lead to an even more drastic scenario, which could be the extinction of the species,” Arce said.

Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) inhabit colonies along the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. They get their name because they bathe in the cold Humboldt Current. These flightless birds can weigh up to 5 kg (11 pounds) and measure up to 70 cm (2 feet 3 inches) tall when adults.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/penguins-extinction-chile-humboldt-rcna156585

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