Galapagos penguin
Scientific name: Spheniscus mendiculus Sundevall, 1871
Overview
The Galápagos penguin is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. It is the only penguin found north of the equator. Most inhabit Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island. The cool waters of the Humboldt and Cromwell Currents allow it to survive despite the tropical latitude. The Galápagos penguin is one of the banded penguins, the other species of which live mostly on the coasts of Africa and mainland South America. Due to their warm environment, Galápagos penguins have developed techniques to stay cool. The feathers on their back, flippers, and head are black, and they have a white belly and a stripe looping from their eyes down to their neck and chin. Each penguin keeps only one mate, and breeds year-round. Because there are no soft areas to nest, their nests are typically in caves and crevices which also provide protection against predators and the harsh environment. The Galápagos penguin has a lifespan of 20 years, but due to predation, life expectancy in the wild could be significantly reduced. They have been critically impacted to the point of endangerment by climate change and pollution caused by plastic waste due to tourism and urbanization.
From the Wikipedia article “Galapagos penguin”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: South America.
Common names
Names in other languages (11)
- Arabic
- بطريق غالاباغوس
- Bengali
- গ্যালাপাগোস পেঙ্গুইন
- Chinese
- 加拉帕戈斯企鵝
- French
- Manchot des Galapagos
- German
- Galápagos-Pinguin, Galapagospinguin
- Indonesian
- Penguin Galápagos
- Japanese
- ガラパゴスペンギン
- Persian
- پنگوئن گالاپاگوس
- Portuguese
- pinguim-das-galápagos
- Russian
- Галапагосский пингвин
- Spanish
- Pingüino de Galápagos
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, names in other languages. Q206668, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Galapagos penguin”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — putneymark, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
- Range map — Nrg800, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026