Beautiful. Inspiring. It's under threat.

The first third of our Protect A Penguin campaigns are self-explanatory. Even if you have a hard hearted cement mixer, the Emperor Penguin chick staring into the cold or a flash of Little Penguin's vibrant blue plumage is guaranteed to melt you in a heap.

inspiration to give? More on this planet than a penguin to survive Is there a creature that represents? During their lifetimes, these remarkable birds have developed countless incredible adaptations that have allowed them to thrive in the world's harshest marine environments. They can drink seawater, survive temperatures as low as -60 °C (-76 °F), and are incredibly agile swimmers. Many can swim faster than we think.

But most species also is under threat. While penguins are intensely adapted for their environments, they have spent millions of years developing these features. Climate change and the change of nature put more than half of penguins in danger of extinction.

But which ones are endangered? 

BirdLife enters for the IUCN Red List as official assessors of the status of birds around the world. BirdLife regularly collates and reviews the latest data to assess the global status of bird species around the world. For the 2016 comprehensive Red List update, penguin updates were informed of the knowledge and experience of the newly formed IUCN Penguin Expert Group (PSG) at a workshop funded by the Global Penguin Community. The threat level for each species was reviewed and updated based on criteria such as range, number and rate of decline. The seven threat levels (in ascending order of severity) are: CONCERN LESS, NEAR THREAT, Vulnerable, DANGEROUS,

Read on to learn more about the world's 18 penguins, where they live, and which ones are most endangered.

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND (GOLD PRODUCTS)

Yellow-eyed Penguin Megadyptes antipodes

Threat status: In danger

How many left? 3,400

Entertainment Facts: Also known by the Maori name 'Hoiho' which translates as 'Noise degradation'. If you get a little nasty, you've come too close to its nest, the tinnitus-inducing trumpet will remind you of why.

What threats do they face? On the Black Island, invasive species (dora, pigeon, predatory cat) are predators on the South Island. At sea, many are suspected of entangling in fishing nets and drowning. To prevent the decline of these threatened species, invasive species eradication programs and vegetation restoration programs continue.

Snares Penguin Eudyptes robustus

Threat status: Sensitive

How many left? 63.000

fun fact : This species of crested penguin is taken from the Snares Islands, a small island group 200 km south of New Zealand. This is the only area of improvement, and since its range is so small, an event (such as a storm or oil spill) could easily see the hazard status of this type of rocket as Hazardous or Critically Hazardous.

What threats do they face? While the Snares Islands are free of invasive predators, they also bring species competing with humans, which also has a large squid fisheries.

Royal Penguin Eudyptes schlegeli

Threat status: DANGEROUS SOON

How many left? 1.700.000

Fun fact: Because crested penguins have a white face, the Royal Penguin-like is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Pasta penguin.

What threats do they face? The Royal Penguin has no land-based hunters; It is born only on the rocky island of Macquarie Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the peninsula between New Zealand and Antarctica, and is politically considered part of Tasmania, Australia. While it is currently developing on the island, its limited range means future threats such as pollution, climate change and overfishing could escalate quickly.

 

The right porridge Penguin Eudyptes sclateri

Threat status: In danger

How many left? 150.000

a fun real: If you are an anime fan, you will meet Pen Pen from the Neon Genesis Evangelion character, given that this bird has claws, not a sign of scientific accuracy.

What threats do they face? It's hard to say due to the lack of data, but because it's declining rapidly, research needs to be done to find out and find out. It probably arises in the sea—possibly from ocean warming or fishing competition—as the breeding grounds are secure.

Little Penguin Eudyptula minor

How many left? 469.760

Fun the truth: At only 33 cm, this stunning bluebird is the world's smallest penguin. Colonies were established in urban areas of New Zealand, such as the capital city of Wellington.

What threats do they face? The Little Penguin's unusual taste for city life means it faces some strange threats: For example, penguin crossing signs have been created to keep these fascinating birds from being flattened by cars.

Fiordland Penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

 

Threat status: Vulnerable – Endangered

How many left? 5500-7000

a fun real: While the Little Penguin is sometimes on New Zealanders' doorsteps, you'll have to venture into the South Island's remote and rugged rainforests and cruise on this inhospitable species. Also known locally as Tawaki, after a Maori god – according to mythology, Tawaki didn't realize he was a god until "he threw off his vile clothes and put himself on lightning." Take a look at the bolt-like crest of the Fiordland Penguin and perhaps you'll see its resemblance.

What threats do they face? Terrestrial mammals, including rats and zookeepers, are a significant threat as they kill eggs and chicks. Partly as a result of this, and partly because of naval philosophies as a fugitive, the% 30 has declined in just a decade.

 

SOUTH OCEAN ISLANDS (QUARTERLY)

Pasta penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus

Threat status: Sensitive

How many left? more than 10 million

a fun real: Not surprisingly, as Pasta Penguins form large breeding colonies numbering in the millions, this species has a reputation for falling out with its neighbors. This famously bad-tempered strain resolves a land dispute with vicious-billed wrestling and silly wars.

What threats do they face? On their own? Despite its large numbers, the future of this penguin is very distant. Breeding populations reduce invasive species and disease outbreaks throughout expropriation colonies as increased goat populations not only hunt on Macaroni but also hinder colony growth by blocking access to breeding grounds.

 

Southern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes Krichocoma

Threat status:   VULNERABLE

How many left? 2,500,000

really fun : The Rockhopper Penguin was split into two distinct species, Northern and Southern, by BirdLife in 2008, due to differences in song, feeding behavior, and molecular level.

Threats they face : Few populations, such as on Campbell Island and Falklands/Malvinas, ^20. It has experienced massive prolonged population collapses in the 19th century. While climate change is believed to be the root cause affecting not only the food supply but also the frequency of storms storming breeding colonies, it is not so clear why.

Northern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes mosaic

 

Threat status: In danger

 How many left? Unknown

a fun real: They look similar, but there's an easy way to tell Northern and Southern Rockhoppers apart – they have longer and more dramatic "brow clusters" in the North.

What threats do they face? The numbers and breeding behavior of these relatively newly split species are still not well known and monitoring projects are ongoing. As 85 of the global population% are restricted to the remote islands of Gough and Tristan de Cunha, single events of oil spills and storms can be disastrous and disastrous for the species' hopes.

AFRICA 

African Penguin Spheniscus demersus

Threat status: In danger

How many left? 50,000

Actually The , Africa's only native penguin species is also known as the Jackass Penguin because of its donkey-like call.

What threats do they face? Egg collecting has become a historical threat, with 13 million eggs harvested between 1900 and 1930. By the 1960s, the population had been reduced to just 300,000. This number had dropped further due to the species' over-appropriation of preferred predators and anchovies. BirdLife South Africa is now seeking to establish new colonies near fish-rich waters to re-establish penguin and prey.

ANTARCTICA (FIVE AGRICULTURE)

 

Emperor penguin Aptenodytes forster

Threat status: DANGEROUS SOON

How many left? 595000

fun facts : The largest, heaviest and most famous penguin species, the Emperor Penguin, is the only species that dares to form a conglomerate of hundreds of birds to protect the offspring enough to lower the temperature during the Antarctic winter buffalo. as low as -60 °C (-76 °F)

What threats do they face? The Emperor Penguin population is currently fairly stable, but climate change projections suggest that % will decline 20-29 percent over the next generations as the decline in sea ice thickness makes it harder for them to find suitable breeding sites.

 

King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus

How many left? unknown

Fun fact: Capable of diving to depths of 300 meters (1,000 feet). The King Penguin manages to find food at these depths by hunting bioluminescent (light-producing) prey such as squid and anglerfish.

What threats do they face? Rising sea surface temperatures are slowly driving the diversity of this species south, forcing some northern colonies in the Indian Ocean to go further for food.

 

Adélie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae

 

How many left? 7.580.000

Entertainment facts: One of only two penguin species (along with the great Emperor) residing in Antarctica on the mainland. The Adélie colony at Cape Royds, Ross Island, is the southernmost bird colony in the entire world.

What threats do they face? Although Adélie numbers are increasing, the ranges of species shown to be affected by climate change have seen their numbers fall accordingly. Research stations and the rise of tourism are also troubling some breeding colonies.

 

Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua

 

How many left? 774.000

Fun the truth: The fastest swimmer among all penguins, reaching underwater speeds of 36 km/h (22 mph).

What threats do they face? Eggs collected in the Falkland Islands / Las Malvinas colony are a historic threat. Oil exploration on the islands is an ongoing concern, as are disturbances from tourism.

Chinstrap Penguin Pygoscelis antarcticus

 

How many left? unknown

a fun real: In 2004, a New York zookeeper noticed a pair of male Chinstrap Penguins mating and trying to "open" a rock. The guardian replaced an egg from another couple, and two male rabbits erupted inside and raised them – a story immortalized in the children's book and Tango Makes Three.

What threats do they face? Antarctic krill contain a large part of their diet, and overfishing by humans may pose a future threat if left unchecked. Recent volcanic activity close to the large Chinstrap colonies in the South Sandwich Islands has killed an as yet unknown number of birds, possibly to raise their threat status.

 

AMERICAS (QUARTERLY)

 

Magellan Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus

 

How many left? unknown

Fun fact: It is named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who saw the bird in 1519 as his fleet passed through South America. The voyage would later become the world's first successful patrol, although Magellan did not live to complete the voyage.

What threats do they face? In addition to climate change and entanglement in fishing nets, oil spills are a major cause of death – in the eighties and nineties, it was estimated that 20,000 birds died on the Argentine coast each year. There is still concern today, especially as further extraction is being considered in the coastal areas of Uruguay and Patagonia.

 

Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti

 

Threat status: Sensitive

How many left? 32.000

Entertainment facts: Named after Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt, who was the first (western) person to discover the species. Many other species native to the continent have been named after him, including the Humboldt Pen and, less irreverently, Humboldt's Pig Dog Scent.

What threats do they face? A home almost full of threats: Overfishing, climate change, invasive species, habitat loss and exploitation combine to drive Humboldt's numbers away.

 

Galapagos Penguin Spheniscus mendicle

Threat status: Very sensitive

How many left? 1.200

a fun real: Because the Galapagos archipelago crosses the equator, it is technically the only penguin species to enter the Northern Hemisphere – but only as long as the beak.

What threats do they face? Major climate change. The world's rarest penguin is dependent on the whims of ocean currents for its food supply. Long-standing warm sea temperatures have led to famines and led to catastrophic population crashes that took years for species to recover in the past. Fear is that rising global temperatures will increase the regularity of these hungers and destroy them completely.