Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Sphenisciformes

I have been taking so few photos recently, so am now having to dig into my archives most of the time. The few times I have been out, I have either seen nothing or nothing that I can photograph. I am longing for a day out with tons of things to see and photograph : ) When I visited the Calgary Zoo on 28 September 2014, I called in at the Penguin Plunge and found this Humboldt Penguin having a swim outside. This species is named after the cold water current it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer. "The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

This photo of a Humboldt Penguin was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 28 September 2014. "There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

Yesterday, 9 July 2014, was an unbearably hot day. When I was searching for photos to upload this morning, I happened to come across this old photo from my archives that I had never posted. It seemed to fit the bill (meaning: meet the requirements). Looking at this image late last night, I could almost feel the coldness of snow and ice. This morning, though, the temperature has gone down, thank goodness, and it's only 19C, going up to 23C this afternoon. More hot weather is on its way, though. Photo of this King Penguin was taken at Penguin Plunge at the Calgary Zoo, on 6 December 2012. The Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. When they first arrived, there were 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable "The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere. King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft). King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago: www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin.. .

The Calgary Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. At the time this photo was taken, on 6 December 2012, there were 46 penguins, which had recently come from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There were 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins, though I know numbers have changed slightly since then. The IUCN Red List states: "King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere. King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft). King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago: www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin...

These wonderfully colourful feet belong to a Gentoo Penguin, taken on 6 December 2012 at the Calgary Zoo. I was surprised that Penguins don't seem to have feet that prevent them from slipping on ice. The Calgary Zoo has four species of Penguin in their Penguin Plunge exhibit - Gentoo (23), King (8), Humboldt (10) and Rockhopper (5). They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable Current Impacts on the Gentoo population include climate variation, competition with fisheries, human disturbance, pollution. Gentoos can hold their breath underwater for up to seven minutes. They usually search for food within 14 kilometres of home, but may travel up to twice that distance in a day. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin The Calgary Zoo does not have a Penguin webcam, but the link below will give you an idea of what we see and hear in Calgary. seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego/Animals/Webcams/Pe...

Yikes, sorry - that's bright on the eyes, especially the "blown-out" part! I usually end up getting my photos ready for Flickr very late at night/early hours of the morning, and this picture didn't look as bright then as it does this morning, ha. Photographed this King Penguin at the Calgary Zoo on 6 December 2012. Later: decided to crop the image, thus getting rid of a bit of the blown-out chest. The Zoo has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt, and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable "The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere. King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft). King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin Link to article about fossilised giant penguin bones which lived 27-24 million years ago: www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1138465--giant-penguin...

Taken at the Calgary Zoo on 4 October 2012. (Oops, I blew out the white feathers!) The Calgary Zoo has four species of Penguin in their Penguin Plunge exhibit - Gentoo (23), King (8), Humboldt (10) and Rockhopper (5). They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable Current Impacts on the Gentoo population include climate variation, competition with fisheries, human disturbance, pollution. Gentoos can hold their breath underwater for up to seven minutes. They usually search for food within 14 kilometres of home, but may travel up to twice that distance in a day. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin

Lol, even this Penguin looks like it has falling snow on its head, but it is just the feather pattern : ) Taken at the Calgary Zoo on 4 October 2012. The Calgary Zoo has four species of Penguin in their Penguin Plunge exhibit - Gentoo (23), King (8), Humboldt (10) and Rockhopper (5). They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable Current Impacts on the Gentoo population include climate variation, competition with fisheries, human disturbance, pollution. Gentoos can hold their breath underwater for up to seven minutes. They usually search for food within 14 kilometres of home, but may travel up to twice that distance in a day. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin

A couple of Gentoo Penguins seen indoors at the Penguin Plunge at the Calgary Zoo, on 4 October 2012. The Zoo has four species of Penguin in their Penguin Plunge exhibit - Gentoo (23), King (8), Humboldt (10) and Rockhopper (5). They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable Current Impacts on the Gentoo population include climate variation, competition with fisheries, human disturbance, pollution. Gentoos can hold their breath underwater for up to seven minutes. They usually search for food within 14 kilometres of home, but may travel up to twice that distance in a day. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin Does anyone else know the PINGU series of animated short videos? One of my favourite TV shows (though I don't know if it is on at the moment). This is a link to just one of the many, many episodes. youtu.be/2tkYQHGm_uw

Humboldt Penguins outside at the Calgary Zoo, on 4 October 2012. "There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

Can't complain that the sun was shining brightly yesterday, but unfortunately this Humboldt Penguin was facing the sun and I did a great job of blowing out the white feathers : ) "There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (droppings)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

This is one of the four species of Penguin in the new Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo. Really bad light inside the exhibit, as far as taking photos is concerned : ( This is one of the very few photos that has come out sharp enough so far, so I'm only very slowly adding new photos to my Penguins set. This species is named after the cold water current it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer. There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (poo)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C... "The current status of this penguin is threatened, due to a declining population caused in part by over-fishing, climate change, and ocean acidification. Historically it was the victim of guano over-exploitation. Penguins are also declining in numbers due to habitat destruction." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Penguin

These wonderful feet belong to a Gentoo Penguin, ha. Taken at the Calgary Zoo on March 15th. "When it's really cold, Penguins rock backwards on their heels, holding their toes up. How do they stop themselves from falling over backwards? They support themselves by their stiff tail feathers that have no blood flow and so lose no heat. So in the coldest conditions, penguins sit there supported on a tripod of two feet (heels) with reduced blood flow and a stiff tail through which they lose no heat at all." The average life span in the wild is 15 to 20 years. www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/c... I am always amazed by this short video, of a Gentoo Penguin that is being chased by a Killer Whale - and what it does to escape! youtu.be/SJaMtBKnN-I

Waited till yesterday to go to the Calgary Zoo, to see the new Penguin Plunge exhibit. I knew it was open to certain membership card owners between limited hours, but I chose to do other things with friends instead. Yesterday was the official opening day - and unfortunately it coincided with Professional Day holiday for many of the Calgary schools. The line-up was awful, and I almost changed my mind, but thankfully a friend happened to come down at the same time (and he almost turned around and left when he saw the length of the line) and so we passed the long wait chatting, which helped! The exhibit itself has been beautifully created - though very small. I suspect very long line-ups will continue for a long time, as these birds are going to be extremely popular. The four species of Penguin (46 Penguins in total) will stay indoors till spring and then just the Humboldt Penguins will have access to the outdoor area. I found the lighting inside was really bad for taking photos - the photo of King Penguins (not an endangered species) above was taken with flash, but still came out horribly. However, I'll take any photo of my first sight of a Penguin! Will add more detail when I get back at the end of the day, when I get home from a day out with some friends, going east of the city. The Zoo now has four species of Penguin - Gentoo (23), King (8), Humboldt (10) and Rockhopper (5). They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable "The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere. King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft). King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin

Can we pretend that I added a layer of texture to this image, ha? I just had to post it, even though the quality is about as bad as it could be! This is a Rockhopper Penguin (Vulnerable Status), seen on February 17th at the Calgary Zoo's new exhibit, Penguin Plunge. Waited till then to go to the Calgary Zoo, to see the new exhibit. I knew it was open to certain membership card owners between limited hours for a sneak preview, but I chose to do other things with friends instead. Friday was the official opening day - and unfortunately it coincided with Professional Day holiday for many of the Calgary schools. The line-up was awful, and I almost changed my mind, but thankfully a friend happened to come down at the same time (and he almost turned around and left when he saw the length of the line) and so we passed the long wait chatting, which helped! The exhibit itself has been beautifully created - though very small. I suspect very long line-ups will continue for a long time, as these birds are going to be extremely popular. The four species of Penguin (46 Penguins in total) will stay indoors till spring and then will move to the outdoor area. I found the lighting inside was really bad for taking photos - the photo above was taken with flash, but still came out horribly. However, I'll take any photo of my first sight of a Penguin! Will add more detail when I get back home. The Zoo now has four species of Penguin - Gentoo, King, Humboldt and Rockhopper. They are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums penguin species survival plan. The 46 penguins came from zoos in Quebec, Texas, New York and Washington states and Scotland. There are 8 King Penguins, 23 Gentoo Penguins, 10 Humboldt Penguins and 5 Rockhopper Penguins. The IUCN Red List states: King Penguins - Least Concern Humboldt Penguins - Vulnerable Gentoo Penguins - Near Threatened Rockhopper Penguins - Vulnerable "The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere. King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), often over 200 metres (660 ft). King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

This is about the only sharp photo I managed to take on February 17th, when I went to see the new Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo, the lighting inside is so bad, with or without flash. More info when I get back home - have to drive part way across the city for the morning. Winter has returned yet again, so it's back to clearing the snow off my car before I can go anywhere. Later: the sun came out and the sky turned blue and it's so beautiful out there right now. Much as I would love to go back out again, I have no choice but to stay home and back up some photo files to external hard drive, so that I can delete them from my hard drive. Almost completely out of space - again : ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Penguin

One of the four species of Penguin in the new Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo. Really bad light inside the exhibit, as far as taking photos is concerned : ( Will add a bit of info when I get back from a very cold walk all morning, in Fish Creek Park. There are 10 Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at the Zoo. The status of this species is IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Current Impacts on their numbers are El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, predators, tourism, competition with fisheries, habitat change. Humboldt penguins groom their feathers before breakfast. They rub oil from a gland at the base of the tail into their feathers and the edges of their wings. Humboldts also groom each other. This species digs nesting burrows in thick deposits of seabird guano (poo)." storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297237247336_C...

A Humboldt Penguin preening in the new Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo. Taken on February 24th.