Identification guide 18 species
There are 18 penguin species in the world, and more than 11 can be seen in Japan — one of the best countries for meeting penguins. This guide covers all 18, including the 7 not kept in Japan, and adds side-by-side tips for the trickiest look-alikes such as King vs Emperor and the four banded penguins.
4 steps
Sizes range from the largest, the Emperor Penguin (about 120 cm), down to the smallest, the Little Penguin (about 40 cm). If it is large and has an orange patch at the neck, it is an Emperor or a King.
Yellow plumes above the eyes mean it belongs to the crested group (rockhoppers and Macaroni). A dense tuft spreading out to both sides from the center of the forehead means Macaroni; plumes that extend like eyebrows mean a rockhopper.
One black band across the chest means a Humboldt or African Penguin; two bands mean a Magellanic. If the bare pink patch at the base of the bill is wide, it is an African Penguin.
The genus Pygoscelis is told apart by the face. A white band above the eye = Gentoo; an all-black head with only a white eye ring = Adelie; a thin black line under the chin = Chinstrap.
2 species
Emperor Penguin
Identification specimen emperor-penguin
Aptenodytes forsteriEN— Endangered
King Penguin
Identification specimen king-penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicusLC— Least Concern
3 species
Gentoo Penguin
Identification specimen gentoo-penguin
Pygoscelis papuaLC— Least Concern
Adelie penguin
Identification specimen adelie-penguin
Pygoscelis adeliaeLC— Least Concern
Chinstrap Penguin
Identification specimen chinstrap-penguin
Pygoscelis antarcticusLC— Least Concern
4 species
Humboldt Penguin
Identification specimen humboldt-penguin
Spheniscus humboldtiVU— Vulnerable
African Penguin
Identification specimen african-penguin
Spheniscus demersusCR— Critically Endangered
Magellanic Penguin
Identification specimen magellanic-penguin
Spheniscus magellanicusLC— Least Concern
Galápagos Penguin
Identification specimen galapagos-penguin
Spheniscus mendiculusEN— Endangered
7 species
Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Identification specimen southern-rockhopper-penguin
Eudyptes chrysocomeVU— Vulnerable
Macaroni Penguin
Identification specimen macaroni-penguin
Eudyptes chrysolophusVU— Vulnerable
Northern Rockhopper Penguin
Identification specimen northern-rockhopper-penguin
Eudyptes moseleyiEN— Endangered
Fiordland Penguin
Identification specimen fiordland-penguin
Eudyptes pachyrhynchusNT— Near Threatened
Snares Penguin
Identification specimen snares-penguin
Eudyptes robustusVU— Vulnerable
Erect-crested Penguin
Identification specimen erect-crested-penguin
Eudyptes sclateriEN— Endangered
Royal Penguin
Identification specimen royal-penguin
Eudyptes schlegeliLC— Least Concern
1 species
Yellow-eyed Penguin
Identification specimen yellow-eyed-penguin
Megadyptes antipodesEN— Endangered
1 species
Little Penguin
Identification specimen little-penguin
Eudyptula minorLC— Least Concern
5 pairs
The two giant penguins, told apart by the orange patch at the neck. Once you know them, size and the outline of the patch give it away at a glance.
| Feature | King Penguin | Emperor Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 85–95 cm | About 100–130 cm (largest living penguin) |
| Orange ear patch | Vivid orange, teardrop (comma) shaped, with a crisp outline | Pale orange with a blurred edge, joining the back at the nape |
| Orange beside the bill | Deep, vivid orange | Pale pink to lilac |
| Breeding grounds and chicks | Sub-Antarctic islands. Chicks are covered in dark brown down (once mistaken for a separate species) | Breeds on the ice of the Antarctic continent in the depth of winter. Chicks have white around the face |
The four banded penguins, told apart by the black chest bands and the bare pink skin on the face.
| Feature | Humboldt Penguin | African Penguin | Magellanic Penguin | Galápagos Penguin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black chest bands | One (thick) | One (thin) | Two (the giveaway) | One (thin and indistinct) |
| Bare pink skin on the face | Wide pink area at the base of the bill | The pink gland above the eye is wide and conspicuous | Bare skin is narrow | A thin white line curves from the eye to the chin |
| Size | About 65 cm | About 60–70 cm | About 70 cm | About 50 cm (smallest; lives right on the equator) |
| Range | Coasts of Chile and Peru | Coast of South Africa | Coast of southern South America | Galápagos Islands (the only one to cross the equator) |
Told apart by the length of the eyebrow plumes.
| Feature | Southern Rockhopper Penguin | Northern Rockhopper Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Eyebrow plumes | Yellow plumes are relatively short | Plumes are long and showy, hanging below the black-and-white boundary of the throat |
| Size | About 50 cm | Slightly larger (about 55 cm) |
| Range | Sub-Antarctic islands | More temperate areas such as Tristan da Cunha to Amsterdam Island |
Three very similar crested penguins. Told apart by the white cheek streaks, bare skin, and the direction of the plumes.
| Feature | Fiordland Penguin | Snares Penguin | Erect-crested Penguin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White cheek streaks | Has white streaks on the cheeks | No white streaks on the cheeks | No white streaks on the cheeks |
| Bare skin at the base of the bill | Barely noticeable | Bare pink skin at the base | Pale bare skin at the base |
| Eyebrow plumes | Droop backward from the brow | Droop backward from the brow | Plumes stand upright (the origin of the name) |
| Range | Forested coasts of southwestern NZ | Snares Islands (sub-Antarctic NZ) | Bounty and Antipodes Islands |
The color of the face is the biggest difference.
| Feature | Macaroni Penguin | Royal Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Face and chin color | Face and chin are black | Face and chin are white to pale gray (the giveaway) |
| Forehead plumes | Orange tufts spread out from the center of the forehead | Nearly identical orange tufts |
| Range and status | A wide range across the sub-Antarctic | Endemic to Macquarie Island. Some regard it as a white-faced form of the Macaroni |
6 species
Emperor Penguin（Chick）
A chick in pale silver-gray down standing beside its parent. The head is black with white cheeks — a completely different look from the adult, with its black back and conspicuous yellow-orange at the neck.
King Penguin（Adult）
King Penguin（Chick）
The "oakum boy," wrapped head to toe in fluffy dark brown down. So unlike the adult that it was once mistaken for a separate species (the photo shows one molting into adult plumage).
Gentoo Penguin（Adult）
A chick covered in grayish-white down. The adult's hallmarks — the white band above the eye and the orange bill — have not yet appeared.
Adelie penguin（Adult）
Adelie penguin（Chick）
Gray to blackish-brown down, darker on the head. The adult's white eye ring and glossy black-and-white pattern are not yet present.
Humboldt Penguin（Adult）
Covered in grayish-brown down, with neither the black chest band nor the pink on the face yet — a plain, featureless look.
Southern Rockhopper Penguin（Adult）
Southern Rockhopper Penguin（Chick）
A chick in gray down. Its biggest hallmarks, the yellow plumes and red eyes, are still absent, and the head is plain gray.
Guide sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org / Photos: see the Commons credit links beside each image.
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