In 1620, Admiral Beaulieu considered penguins to be feathered fish, due to their adaptations to life underwater.

Statistics
Height: 70cm (27.5in), Weight: 4-6kg (8.8-13lb).

Physical description
They have a black/brown back, a white breast and trunk, a black band under the chin and an inverted horseshoe-shape on their front.

Distribution
Magellanic penguins breed on the coast and offshore islands of Argentina, Chile and the Falkland islands in the cold temperate sub-Antarctic seas.

Diet
Their diet consists of squid and small schooling fish. Adults are hunted by sea lions and the chicks are preyed upon by Dominican gulls.

Behaviour
Magellanic penguins build well spaced-out nests, in sometimes very large colonies, under bushes or in burrows.

Reproduction
They breed from late September to February. Two eggs are laid and occasionally both are reared. Incubation by both parents lasts 39-42 days in 10-15 day shifts. The chicks are brooded and guarded by both parents for 29 days and they are fed every 2-3 days.

Conservation status
Magellanic penguins are classified as Lower Risk by the 2000 Red List of Threatened Species. They are threatened by oil pollution and hunting.