# Galapagos penguin (*Spheniscus mendiculus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/galapagos-penguin  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), also written Galápagos penguin, is a medium-sized bird in the penguin family Spheniscidae. It is a carnivorous aquatic predator of marine habitats, with a geographic range of 1,041 km², and it is partially migratory. Adults weigh 1.9 kg, with reported values from 1.74 to 2.23 kg; it has one clutch per year of 3.25 eggs, incubated for 41 days. The IUCN Red List classifies the galapagos penguin as Endangered, a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.74 kg – 2.23 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 20 years |
| Diet | Aquatic predator |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine |
| Egg incubation | 41 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 – 3.25 |
| Age at maturity | 3.5 years – 5 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Lifestyle | Aquatic |
| Migration | Partial |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Sphenisciformes
- family: Spheniscidae
- genus: Spheniscus
- species: *Spheniscus mendiculus* Sundevall, 1871

Synonyms: *Spheniscus flavipes*, *Spheniscus modestus*

## Common questions

### Is the galapagos penguin endangered?

Yes. The galapagos penguin is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How heavy is a galapagos penguin?

An adult Galapagos penguin weighs 1.9 kg, with reported values from 1.74 to 2.23 kg.

### What does the galapagos penguin eat?

The galapagos penguin is a carnivore classed as an aquatic predator.

### How long does a galapagos penguin live?

The lifespan of the galapagos penguin is given as 20 years.

### How many eggs does a galapagos penguin lay?

The galapagos penguin has a clutch size of 3.25 eggs, with one clutch per year. The eggs are incubated for 41 days.

### When does a galapagos penguin reach sexual maturity?

A galapagos penguin reaches sexual maturity at 4.2 years, with reported values from 3.5 to 5.0 years.

### Who named the galapagos penguin?

The galapagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus, was named by Sundevall, 1871.

### What kind of animal is the galapagos penguin?

The galapagos penguin is a bird in the penguin family Spheniscidae, order Sphenisciformes.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/galapagos-penguin