Table Of Content284 THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol. 119, No. 2, June 2007
The Wilson Journal ofOrnithology 1 19(2);284—288, 2007
Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in the Northern Hemisphere
A. N. Van Buren’ and P. Dee Boersma'’^
—
ABSTRACT Penguins, Southern Hemispherebirds, pairsjust north ofthe equatoron IsabellaIsland
were introduced to the Northern Hemisphere several (Boersma 1977). All other penguin species are
times in the 1930s. None ofthe four species introduced confined to the Southern Hemisphere. The ab-
became established but some individuals survived for at
leastadecade. HumboldtPenguins{Spheniscushumhold- sence of penguins in the Northern Hemisphere
ti) were observed in waters off the west coast of North is generally attributed to a combination of his-
America several times in the 1970s and 1980s and one tory and climate; the ancestors of penguins
was caught in a fishing net in Alaska in 2002. Penguins evolved in the Southern Hemisphere, and ther-
theoretically might be able to swim to suitable habitat in mal and productivity barriers prevented them
the Northern Hemisphere, but we argue the most likely from moving northward (Sparks and Soper
explanation for theirarrival in the Pacific Northwestwas
1987, Soper 2000). Penguins require cool pro-
by fishing boat. Received 21 October 2005. Accepted 3
September2006. ductive water to survive (Williams 1995) and
are limited to areas where water temperatures
do not exceed 20° C (Sparks and Soper 1987,
On 18 July 2002, salmon fisherman Guy Soper 2000). Even the Galapagos Penguin is
Demmert caught an adult Humboldt Penguin mainly restricted to productive cold water
(Boersma 1978).
{NSopyheesnisIscluasndh,umAbloalsdktai)(i5n5°hi3s0'puNr,se1s3e3in°e40n'etWo)f,f We compiled reports of penguins in the
nearly 10,000 km from its native range in Peru Northern Hemisphere, and addressed three
and Chile (from 5° S to 42° S). The penguin ap- possible mechanisms explaining the presence
peared healthy and robust, and was released un- ofHumboldt Penguins in the north Pacific: (1)
hurt after being photographed (Guy Demmert, naturally occurring vagrant, (2) escape from
pers. comm.) (Fig. 1). This may not have been Northern Hemisphere zoos, and (3) intentional
the first sighting of penguins in Alaska. A 1976 release into the wild. —
Naturally Occurring Vagrant Reports of
research cruise in the Gulf of Alaska recorded .
“brown penguins” (M. J. Rauzon, pers. vagrant penguins (e.g., outside their normal
comm.), and Guy Demmert (pers. comm.) .saw range) are not uncommon within the Southern
Hemisphere. Macaroni (Eudyptes chrysolo-
a penguin while fishing in 2001.
There are four earlier observations of Hum- phus), Rockhopper (E. chrysocome), and King
(Aptenodytes patagonicus) penguins have
boldt Penguins along the west coast of North
America. In 1944, a single penguin was seen in rested on beaches at Punta Tombo, Argentina,
the Queen Charlotte Islands (Beurling 1978); hundreds of nautical miles from breeding col-
another was observed in 1975 near Long Beach, onies (PDB, pers. obs.). Juvenile King Pen-
guins were seen molting near Palmer Station,
Washington (Campbell et al. 1990). There were
three reports in 1978 of one to three Humboldt tAhnatnarc1t,i3c0a0 iknmJfanruoamrythe20n0e1areasntdbr2e0e0d2i,ngmcoorle-
Penguins on northern Vancouver Island (Burnes
ony (PDB, pers. obs.). In extreme examples.
1978) with pictures of the penguins published
Yellow-eyed {Megadyptes antipodes) and
in regional newspapers (Anonymous 1978b).
O(Cnaempwbaesllseeetnali.n 11999805).offthe Washington coast Einretchte-cFreasltkeldan{dE.Isscllaantdesr,i)moprenegutihnasn w8e,r0e00sekemn
The only penguin species known to breed in (4,300 nautical miles) from their breeding ar-
the Northern Hemisphere is the Galapagos eas in New Zealand (Harrison 1983, Strange
Penguin {S. mendiculus), with a few dozen w1e99r2e),oabnsedrLvietdtleinPeCnhgiulien,s 1{0E,u0d0y0ptuklma m(i5n,o4r0)0
nautical miles) from their native range (Val-
Sea'ttDleep.aWrtAme9n8t1o9f5.BiUoSloAg.y. University ofWashington. verde and Oyarzo 1999, Brito 2000, Wilson
-Corresponding author; e-mail: et al. 2000).
[email protected] The distances traveled by these individuals
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 285
FIG. 1. Humboldt Penguin caught by salmon fisherman Guy Demmert on 18 July 2002 near Noyes Island,
Alaska (photograph by Darin Fordyce).
is comparable to a Humboldt Penguin swim- provide local concentrations ofphytoplankton
ming from Peru or Chile to Alaska (—10,000 that can be exploited by zooplankton and their
km), but the marine environments each would larger predators (Lalli and Parsons 1997).
need to traverse are different. A penguin could Thus, a Humboldt Penguin could potentially
complete thejourney from New Zealand to the find sufficient food by remaining close to the
Falkland Islands by exploiting the Antarctic eastern Pacific coast. However, a bird follow-
Circumpolar Current with its ample prey re- ing this route should—be conspicuous while
sources and without experiencing water tem- resting on the beach espec—ially along the
peratures in excess of 10-15° C (Duxbury and crowded coast of California and no Hum-
Duxbury 1994, Christoph et al. 1998). In con- boldt Penguins have been reported to the Cal-
trast, a Humboldt Penguin swimming to Alaska ifornia bird records committee (Philip Unitt,
would need to cross 4,500 km of mostly un- pers. comm.).
productive waterbetween 20 and 35°C without A Humboldt Penguin crossing through
the aid of currents (Lalli and Parsons 1997). equatorial waters would also face a thermal
Primary production in the eastern tropical barrier. Penguins thermoregulate in the cold
equatorial and north Pacific averages 80 g C/ waters oftheir native ranges by a combination
mVyear (grams of carbon/meter° per year), of subcutaneous fat deposits and dense over-
much lower than the 350 g C/mVyear in the lapping feathers that prevent water from
upwelling regions where Humboldt Penguins reaching the skin surface. In warm weather,
live and breed (Duxbury and Duxbury 1994). while on land, these same attributes can cause
However, coastal productivity averages 150 g penguins to overheat and die (Boersma 1974a,
C/mVyear with areas along the west coast of Simeone et al. 2004). The upper limit of a
the United States as high as 350 g C/mVyear Humboldt Penguin’s thermoneutral zone is ap-
(Duxbury and Duxbury 1994). Eddies, shelf proximately 30° C (Drent and Stonehouse
breaks, river plumes, and tidal fronts may also 1971) and, on land, Humboldt Penguins at rest
—
286 THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol. 119, No. 2, June 2007
use evaporative heat loss via body positioning released nine King Penguins at Gjaesvaer, West
or panting to avoid heat stress in temperatures Finmark, and Rpst. Lofoten (Lund 1953, Curry-
exceeding 25-30° C (Simeone et al. 2004). In Lindahl 1963, Sparks and Soper 1987). Four of
crossing the equator, Humboldt Penguins the birds were captured and killed within 1 year.
would experience water and air temperatures On 31 May 1944, a single individual was seen
in excess of 30° C, and active swimming alive at Breistrand. Vesteralen, almost 8 years
would further increase the heat load by gen- after its release (Curry-Lindahl 1963). Gentoo
erating metabolic heat. A penguin in warm (Pygoscelis papaii) and Macaroni penguins
water would be restricted to panting to elim- were also introduced at Rpst, Lofoten in 1938,
inate excess heat, which would prevent the but all were dead by the following year (Blsedel
bird from either foraging or transiting. Thus, 1963). Norway’s Nature Protection Society may
while a Humboldt Penguin traveling from have released several African Penguins, also in
Peru or Chile to Alaska might be able to find 1938 (Sparks and Soper 1987). The lastpenguin
food, it would probably not survive the high (species unknown) reported in Norway was
tropical temperatures. seen on 2 July 1954, at Selspyodden in Ha-
Escapefrom Northern Hemisphere Zoos. mar0y (Sparks and Soper 1987).
Penguins do escape from zoos: on 9 August There is indirect evidence that penguins
2002 a Magellanic Penguin {S. magellanicus) may also be transported and released capri-
chick was reported missing from the Point De- ciously by fishermen and boaters. Live pen-
fiance Zoo in Tacoma (Anonymous 2002). It guins are sometimes kept on shipboard by
was thought to have escaped to Puget Sound fishers (PDB, pers. obs.). In 1978, a Japanese
and “fledged.” Whether it did or not is un- trawler visiting Halifax, Nova Scotia had on
known, as it was not seen again and no corpse board two King Penguins caught in nets when
was found. An African Penguin (S', demersiis) they were fishing in the Southern Ocean
seen 3-16 February 1981 nearChimney Rock, (Anonymous 1978a). Local fishermen in Peru
Pt. Reyes, California, likely escaped from a capture and use Humboldt Penguins as bait
California zoo (Pyle and McCaskie 1992). (Patricia Majluf, pers. comm.). On 2 Septem-
Notably, no penguins were reported as es- ber 1961, a Rockhopper Penguin captured in
caped prior to the repeated Humboldt Penguin a salmon net near Pukaviken, Blekinge, Swe-
sightings near Vancouver Island in 1978 den (Nilsson and Lundgren 1993) likely trav-
(Burnes 1978). eled from the Southern Ocean on a USSR
Humboldt Penguins are kept in more zoos fishing/whaling vessel returning to the fleet
(approximately 150 worldwide) than any other port at Kaliningrad (Magnus Forsberg, pers.
penguin species (International Species Infor- comm.). The Humboldt Penguins seen off
mation System 2005). Over 2,000 Humboldt Washington and British Columbia were
Penguins are kept in zoos and aquariums in thought to have been brought from South
Japan alone, more than in any other country America as fishermen’s pets (M. C. E. Mc-
(Boersma 1991). Zoos typically use perma- Nall, pers. comm.). A Galapagos Penguin
nent bands or tags to mark their penguins. found dead on the coast of Panama (Eisen-
None of the Humboldt Penguins observed in rnann 1956) was probably picked up in the
the north Pacific (including the one captured Galapagos by a pleasure b—oater who released
by fisherman Demmert) was marked, suggest- it upon arrival in Panama this is a common
ing they were not zoo escapees. The possibil- route that boaters often follow (Boersma
ity that Humboldt Penguins escaped unmarked 1974b).
and unreported cannot be excluded, but there Could the Humboldt Penguin captured in
is no independent evidence supporting intro- Alaska have come by boat? In the mid- to late
duction to the wild from captive zoo popula- 1970s, tuna vessels fished along the west coast
tions. ofthe Americas from northern Chile to Califor-
—
Intentional Release into the Wild. Intro- nia (Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
ductions of penguins into the Northern Hemi- 1979, 1980). The Humboldt Penguins seen off
sphere have occurred, but none established self- Vancouver Island in 1978 could have traveled
sustaining populations. In August 1936, Carl by tuna boat from Peru or Chile, being released
Schoyen ofNorway's Nature Protection Society before the boats docked in Seattle. Seiners con-
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 287
verting to Alaska crab boats in the late 1970s arctic penguins in outdoor pens since 1919
after the crash of the Peruvian anchovy hshery (Sparks and Soper 1987).
might also have brought Humboldt Penguins Penguins can survive in the wild in the
northward (M. A. Hall, pers. comm.). Boaters Northern Hemisphere, but whether they can
transporting penguins might have jettisoned the establish themselves remains an academic
birds as they approached United States or Ca- question. Ofthe penguins released in Norway,
nadian ports for fear ofprosecution under wild- one pair (probably Kings) was reported brood-
life or health laws. ing an egg at Sandholmen in 1944. One pen-
guin was later killed by a fisherman and
DISCUSSION thought on inspection (and consumption) to be
a young bird (Lund 1953). In 1948, a penguin
It seems unlikely that a Humboldt Penguin fledgling (species unknown) was supposedly
would swim nearly 90 degrees latitude (over
found, adopted, and cared for by a Sund, Lo-
5,400 nautical miles) from Peru or Chile to foten man (Lund 1953).
Alaska. The lack of identification tags or re-
Introductions are likely to continue as peo-
ports of escapees suggests the penguins seen ple move species around the globe, but it
in Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska seems improbable that penguins will become
were not zoo birds. The most parsimonious established in the Northern Hemisphere for
explanation for a Humboldt Penguin reaching two reasons. First, so few are introduced and
the Northern Hemisphere is that it got a lift penguins breed more successfully in large
on a boat. If the penguin captured by Dem- groups (Boersma 1991). Second, the Northern
mert was brought by boat to Alaska, the ques- Hemisphere has mammalian predators like
tion is when. Spheniscus penguins can live bears (Ursiis spp.), which the Southern Hemi-
more than 25 years in the wild and as much sphere lacks in coastal regions (the Spectacled
as 36 years in zoos. It is possible the Hum- Bear, Tremarctos ornatus, is mostly restricted
boldt Penguins that mysteriously appeared to the Andes; Servheen et al. 1999). Predation
near Vancouver Island in 1978 were seen in is a concern for introduced penguins, as one
Washington waters in 1985, and finally of the Humboldt Penguins seen in British Co-
reached Alaska in 2002. lumbia was captured and eaten by an eagle
In the Northern Hemisphere, alcids are the (Beurling 1978). Problems associated with
ecological equivalent of penguins and, like small population size and predators will likely
penguins, are largely confined to areas ofhigh prevent any penguin species from colonizing
productivity. The north Pacific has conditions the Northern Hemisphere, despite the fact they
suitable for penguin survival (Sparks and So- can survive for many years in the productive
per 1987). As a temperate species, Humboldt waters of the temperate north.
Penguins would be physiologically well-
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
adapted to conditions in the temperate north
Pacific with its cold and productive waters We thank the following for their assistance: D. G.
similar to those in the upwelling region ofthe Ainley, M. J. Chutter, Guy Demmert, Magnus Fors-
Humboldt Current off Peru and Chile. The berg, D. F. Fraser, M. A. Hall, K. G. Hewlett, Patricia
Humboldt Penguin captured in Alaska may Majluf, P. A. McGill, M. C. E. McNall, S. E. Moore,
have been feeding on herring (Clupea haren- M. J. Rauzon, G. A. Rebstock, K. S. Rivera, J. F.
Splettstoesser, R. E. Taylor, Greg Toffic, Philip Unitt,
gus pallasii), a fish ecologically analogous to andGusvan Vliet.Threeanonymousrefereesprovided
the anchovies it would find in its native wa- helpful comments on the manuscript. A. N. Van Buren
ters. Temperate penguins (Humboldt, African, was supported by a NOAA Nancy Foster Scholarship
Magellanic) persist well in open-air Northern during preparation ofthis paper.
Hemisphere zoos where they are protected LITERATURE CITED
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