Penguins are birds in the family Spheniscidae in the monotypic order Sphenisciformes. They inhabit high-productivity marine habitats, almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere; the only species to occur north of the equator is the Galapagos penguin. The only group of birds other than the ratites to be entirely flightless, penguins are extremely adapted to their aquatic lifestyle, with a streamlined shape that minimizes drag, countershaded dark-and-white plumage, dense bones, powerful flippers, and insulating feathers that allow them to withstand very low temperatures on land and in water.
There are currently 18 extant species of penguins recognised by the International Ornithologists' Union, distributed among six genera. Many species of fossil penguins are known from the Paleocene onwards; however, their exact number and taxonomy are unsettled due to ongoing discoveries.
Conventions
Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the penguin's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IOC World Bird List for that species unless otherwise noted. Population estimates are of the number of mature individuals and are taken from the IUCN Red List.
This list follows the taxonomic treatment (designation and order of species) and nomenclature (scientific and common names) of version 13.2 of the IOC World Bird List. Where the taxonomy proposed by the IOC World Bird List conflicts with the taxonomy followed by the IUCN or the 2023 edition of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, the disagreement is noted next to the species's common name (for nomenclatural disagreements) or scientific name (for taxonomic disagreements).
Classification The International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) recognises 18 species of penguins in six genera. This list does not include hybrid species, extinct prehistoric species, or putative species not yet accepted by the IOU.
Family Spheniscidae
Genus Aptenodytes: two species Genus Pygoscelis: three species Genus Eudyptula: one species Genus Spheniscus: four species Genus Megadyptes: one species Genus Eudyptes: seven species
Penguins
Fossil species
Basal sphenisciformes SpeciesNotesSourceWaimanu manneringiSlack et al. 2006Muriwaimanu tuatahiMayr et al. 2017Sequiwaimanu roseaeMayr et al. 2017Crossvallia unienwilliaJadwiszczak et al. 2013Crossvallia waiparensisMayr et al. 2019Petradyptes stonehouseiKsepka et al. 2023Kaiika maxwelliFordyce & Thoman 2011Kumimanu biceaeMayr et al. 2017Kumimanu fordyceiKsepka et al. 2023Kupoupou stilwelliBlokland et al. 2019Archaeodyptes waitahaorumMayr et al. 2025Daniadyptes primaevusMayr et al. 2025Waimanutaha kenloveiMayr et al. 2025Waiparadyptes gracilitarsusMayr et al. 2025
Advanced sphenisciformes +SpeciesNotesSourceAnthropornis nordenskjoldiiJadwiszczak et al. 2002Anthropornis grandisJadwiszczak et al. 2002UCMP 321023 (Anthropornis sp.)Ksepka & Clarke, 2010Palaeeudyptes antarcticusPalaeeudyptes marplesiPalaeeudyptes klekowskiiJadwiszczak et al. 2002Palaeeudyptes gunnariMay represent the opposite sex of P. klekowskii Jadwiszczak et al. 2002Chilean PalaeeudyptesBurnside "Palaeeudyptes"Ksepka & Clarke, 2010Duntroon "Palaeeudyptes"Ksepka & Clarke, 2010Archaeospheniscus loweiGiovanardi et al. 2021Archaeospheniscus lopdelliGiovanardi et al. 2021Notodyptes wimaniFormerly ArchaeospheniscusGiovanardi et al. 2021Delphinornis larseniJadwiszczak et al. 2002Delphinornis gracilisJadwiszczak et al. 2002Delphinornis arctowskiiJadwiszczak et al. 2002Mesetaornis polarisJadwiszczak et al. 2002Marambiornis exilisJadwiszczak et al. 2002Aprosdokitos mikroteroHospitaleche et al. 2017Perudyptes devriesiKsepka & Clarke, 2010Eretiscus tonniHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Palaeospheniscus patagonicusHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Palaeospheniscus bilocularHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Palaeospheniscus bergiHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Paraptenodytes antarcticusHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Arthrodytes andrewsiHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Madrynornis mirandusHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Pachydyptes simpsoniPark & Fitzgerald, 2012Pachydyptes ponderosusGiovanardi et al. 2021Anthropodyptes gilliPark & Fitzgerald, 2012Pseudaptenodytes macraeiPark & Fitzgerald, 2012Marambiornopsis sobraliJadwiszczak et al. 2021Icadyptes salasiClarke et al. 2007Kairuku waewaeroaGiovanardi et al. 2021Kairuku grebneffiGiovanardi et al. 2021Kairuku waitakiGiovanardi et al. 2021Glen Murray Kairuku sp.Giovanardi et al. 2021Platydyptes novaezealandiaeGiovanardi et al. 2021Platydyptes marplesiGiovanardi et al. 2021Inkayacu paracasensisClarke et al. 2010Pakudyptes hakatarameaAndo et al. 2024
Extinct species of extant genera +SpeciesNotesSourceSpheniscus megaramphusHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Spheniscus urbinaiHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Spheniscus chilensisHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Spheniscus muizoniHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Pygoscelis grandisHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Pygoscelis tyreeiPygoscelis calderensisHospitaleche & Tambussi, 2008Eudyptes atatuThomas et al. 2020Eudyptes warhamiCole et al. 2019Eudyptes calauinaHoffmeister et al. 2014Eudyptula wilsonaeThomas et al. 2023Megadyptes antipodes richdaleiCole et al. 2019Megadyptes antipodes waitahaCole et al. 2019Aptenodytes ridgeni
Poorly understood taxa +SpeciesNotesSourceDege hendeyiInguza predemersus Duntroonornis parvusNucleornis insolitusMarplesornis novaezealandiaeKorora oliveriParaptenodytes robustusPlatydyptes amiesi
Invalid taxa +SpeciesNotesSourceTonniornis mesetaensisNamed on an isolated humerus which is unable to be compared to other species present in the same locality.Ksepka & Clarke, 2010Tonniornis minimumNamed on an isolated humerus which is unable to be compared to other species present in the same locality. Similar size to a specimen referred to Delphinornis larseni.Ksepka & Clarke, 2010 Tereingaornis moisleyi Genus is a nomen dubium due to lack of identifiable traits, but the specimen may belong to a new species (the Te Ringa Falls Penguin) Thomas et al. 2019Wimanornis seymourensis Synonymous with Palaeeudypytes gunnariOrthopteryx gigasHospitaleche and Reguero, 2010Ichtyopteryx gracilisHospitaleche and Reguero, 2010Palaeoapterodytes ictusHospitaleche, 2010Psuedaptenodytes minorLack of diagnostic characteristics on the holotypePark & Fitzgerald, 2012 The Early Oligocene genus Cruschedula was formerly thought to belong to Spheniscidae; however, re-examination of the holotype in 1943 resulted in the genus being placed in Accipitridae. Further examination in 1980 resulted in placement as Aves incertae sedis.
Notes
References