Types of Penguins: Meet the Six Penguin Groups

Did you know penguin species around the world are divided into six groups called genera? These include crested, banded, brush-tailed, large, yellow-eyed, and little penguins.

It looks like someone forgot the Wonky Penguin group, but we’ll let that one slide.

We are thrilled that there are so many different types of penguins. According to Smithsonian Ocean, it is generally agreed that there are between 17 and 19 species!

Let’s take a gander at one penguin from each group:

Crested Penguins

Rockhopper Penguins. Photo: Jack Salen, Pexels.

Rockhopper (Northern, Southern, Eastern)
Group: Crested
Favorite foods: Krill, small fish, squid
Locations: Subantarctic regions of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Falkland Islands
Other crested penguins: Royal, Fiordland, macaroni, Snares crested, erect-crested

Banded Penguins

Humboldt Penguins. Photo: Alvaro Tapia, Pexels.

Humboldt
Group: Banded
Favorite foods: Anchovies, sardines
Locations: Coasts of Chile and Peru, South America
Other banded penguins: Magellanic, African, Galápagos

Brush-Tailed Penguins

Chinstrap Penguin. Photo: Nacho Canepa, Pexels.

Chinstrap
Group: Brush-tailed
Favorite foods: Antarctic krill, small fish
Locations: Subantarctic islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Other brush-tailed penguins: Gentoo, Adélie

Large Penguins

Emperor Penguins. Photo: MemoryCatcher, Pixabay.

Emperor
Group: Large
Favorite foods: Fish, krill, squid
Location: Antarctica
Other large penguins: King

Yellow-Eyed Penguins

Yellow-eyed penguin. Photo: Martyn de Jong, Unsplash.

Yellow-eyed
Group: Yellow-eyed
Favorite foods: Small fish, squid
Location: New Zealand

Little Penguins

Little penguin. Photo: Stuart Robinson, Pexels.

Little
Group: Little (also called fairy)
Favorite foods: Small fish, krill, small squid
Locations: New Zealand, Australia

Wonky Penguins

Wonky Penguin. Illustration: Will Terry, Wonky Penguin Games.

Wonky Penguin
Honorary group: Wonky
Favorite foods: Gingerbread cookies, hot cocoa
Location: The North Pole, where Santa tried recruiting the penguins for his workshop

We hope this blog brings a little penguin pizzazz to your day and encourages you to keep learning more.

Take a deeper dive into penguinology with the sources below. We hope you’ll waddle back and let us know what you find!

Sources: Smithsonian Ocean · Center for Biological Diversity