The Humboldt penguin, an endemic bird of the Humboldt Current that runs along the coasts of Chile and Peru, is facing a rapid disappearance on the Peruvian coast.
Researchers found empty nests, malnourished chicks, and practically abandoned colonies, where the population dropped from more than 2,000 individuals to just three in only four years.
The phenomenon of El Niño Costero warms the waters, displaces the anchovy —the species’ main food— and leaves the penguins without resources to survive and reproduce.
Factors that Worsen the Situation
Marine biologist Carlos Zavalaga, director of the Research Unit in Ecology and Conservation of Seabirds at the Universidad Científica del Sur, explained that the deterioration is not only due to the warming of the sea. Additional threats include:
- Avian influenza H5N1, which affected seabirds between 2022 and 2023.
- Industrial anchovy fishing, which reduces food availability.
- Accidental capture in artisanal nets.
- Presence of rats on guano islands, which devour eggs and scare away birds.
Census Results
The census conducted between May and June by the Universidad Científica del Sur, in collaboration with Oikonos, reviewed ten colonies from Isla Foca (Piura) to Punta Ocles (Moquegua). The use of drones allowed for precise counting of breeding individuals.
The findings were alarming:
- On Isla Macabi, the population fell from more than 2,000 penguins in 2020-2021 to just three in 2025.
- In Guañape Norte, there is no longer a single inhabited nest.
- In Pachacamac (Lima), where there were half a thousand birds, none remain today.
- In Melchorita (Cañete), nests dropped from 200 in April to just five or ten in May.
Mortality and Migration
Zavalaga noted that some of the birds might migrate south, while many die and their bodies appear stranded on the beaches. The last annual count, conducted by Serfor and international NGOs, reported in 2025 a reduction of 60%, with a population of just 5,465 birds.
Regarding the bodies found on the coast, the researcher indicated that most likely died from lack of food, although he does not rule out the influence of the H5N1 virus.
Lack of Rescue Capacity
In Peru, there is no infrastructure to recover stranded penguins, incubate abandoned eggs, or feed malnourished chicks. However, measures can be adopted so that, when El Niño ends, the birds find minimal conditions to reproduce without disturbances.
Among the pressures that need to be reduced are:
- Overfishing of anchovy.
- Fishing in protected marine areas.
- Accidental capture in nets.
- Tourism near colonies.
- Rat control on guano islands.
The accelerated disappearance of the Humboldt penguin in Peru is an extreme case that reflects the vulnerability of marine species to climate change and human pressure.
Without urgent conservation measures and threat reduction, the recovery of the colonies will be impossible.
