Family SPHENISCIDAE Bonaparte, 1831

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• Spheniscidae Bonaparte, C.L. 1831. Saggio di una distribuzione metodica degli animali vertebrati. Giornale Arcadico di Scienze Lettere ed Arti 49: 3-77 [original spelling].

  Type genus:

   Spheniscus Brisson, 1760.

  Secondary source:

   Brodkorb, P. 1963. Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum. Biological Sciences 7: 179-293 [240]; Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].
• Aptenodytidae Sundevall, C.J. 1836. Ornithologiskt system. For 1835. Kongliga Vetenskaps Akademiens Handlingar 43-130.

  Type genus:

   Aptenodytes Miller, J.F., 1778 [Aptenodytes Var. Subj. nat. Hist.: pl. 23 (gender: masculine) (type species, by monotypy: Aptenodytes patagonica Miller, 1778, Var. Subj. nat. Hist.: pl. 23) (Aves). Op. 67 aptera, Forficula, Charpentier, 1825, Hor. Entomol.: 69 (specific name of the type species of Chelidura Berthold, 1827) (Insecta, Dermaptera). Direction 5].

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].
• Dasyramphinae Bonaparte, C.L. 1856. Espèces nouvelles d'oiseaux d'Asie et d'Amerique, et tableaux paralleliques des pelagiens ou gaviae. Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences. Paris 41: 764-776 (775).

  Type genus:

   Dasyramphus Hambrom & Jacquinot, 1841 [a junior synonym of Pygoscelis Wagler, 1832].

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].
• Eudyptidae Des Murs, M.A.P.O. 1860. Traité général d'Oologie ornithologique au point de vue de la classification. Paris. xix 640 pp. [470].

  Type genus:

   Eudyptes Vieillot, 1816.

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].
• Dypsicleidae Poche, F. 1904. Ein bisher nicht berücksichttigtes zoologisches Werk aus dem Jahre 1758, in dem die Grundsätze der binären Nomenklatur befolgt sind. Zoologischer Anzeiger 27: 495-510 [498].

  Type genus:

   Dypsicles Möhring, 1752 [Dypsicles Gloger = Spheniscus Brisson, 1760].

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].
• Pygoscelidae Boetticher, H. von 1943. Bemerkungen zur Systemayik der Pinguine. Zoologischer Anzeiger 142: 22-29.

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].
• Eudyptulidae Boetticher, H. von 1943. Bemerkungen zur Systemayik der Pinguine. Zoologischer Anzeiger 142: 22-29 [subsequent misspelling].

  Type genus:

   Eudyptula Bonaparte, C.L., 1856.

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Brodkorb, P. 1963. Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum. Biological Sciences 7: 179-293 [240]
• Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [130]

Introduction

Spheniscidae, the penguins, have long been recognised as a family (e.g. Sibley & Ahlquist 1990; Giannini & Bertelli 2004; Christidis & Boles 2008). The family is centred in the southern oceans with outlying species Eudyptula minor occurring as far north as Australia, and Spheniscus mendiculus in the Galapagos Islands. Spheniscidae evolved in the early Tertiary period from flying, tube-nosed ancestors. The family comprises 17 species in six genera, one of which is an Australian resident while another 11 are vagrants or occur on subantarctic islands or the Antarctic mainland. Most are gregarious. Penguins are flightless marine species highly adapted for swimming; their streamlined bodies, reduced length of both feet and legs and their paddle-like wings acting as flippers combine to provide them with the speed they require to feed in the ocean. The toes are thick, fleshy and anisodactyl with a greatly reduced or vestigial hallux.

Locomotion is principally through the use of their wings; the small legs are used principally in moving from the water to their nest area. This swimming and diving style is aided by the well-developed sternum which provides an anchor for their breast muscles; their shortened legs, situated towards the tail inhibits drag and assists with steering through the water; the wings lack flight feathers — these are replaced by small scale-like feathers. The adaptation of forelimbs for swimming has seen the development of wing bones that do not allow the wing to be folded. The bodies are completely covered with small extremely dense feathering, lacking any apteria. These feathers are replaced by moulting in patches. The sexes are similar, their counter-shaded plumage is dark, blackish blue, above and white below; the only deviations in this is seen in some that have elongate golden-yellow superciliary crests, or patterns of yellow to orange, on the head and neck.

The size limit for the larger species is reached by Aptenodytes forsteri of Antarctica. One of the smallest is Eudyptula minor of Australia and New Zealand; this species is often encountered in coastal waters about islands and in bays and estuaries whereas the larger, vagrant, species are more often observed cast up on beaches either deceased or in poor condition. Most penguins are gregarious although single birds and pairs are not unknown. Vocalisations, a series of loud yapping notes, are invariably restricted to communication between pairs but the birds are capable of loud alarm calls; other noises have been described as series of ‘loud harsh brays, croaks, barks or trumpeting’. All penguins are piscivorous, catching their food by underwater pursuit, or obtaining it as flotsam; they will also consume large amounts of crustaceans (particularly krill) and squid.

Eudyptula minor is the only species to breed on the Australian continent and Tasmania, often in large colonies on offshore islands. Permanent pair bonding, often reusing the same nest burrow, is acknowledged. The nest is formed from a short tunnel, an overhang, under a tree trunk or tussock. Larger species either use pebble beaches, tussock hillsides or in the case of A. forsteri the Antarctic ice fields. The nest, when lining is used, contains little apart from tufts of grasses, sticks and/or pebbles. Incubation lasts between 33 and 62 days dependent on the species and breeding area and both sexes incubate the eggs and both adults assist in raising and caring for their young. Clutches of two eggs are normal; rarely three are encountered for the smaller species, while the larger species lay only a single egg. All eggs are short-pyriform in shape and are coloured pale cream, often becoming stained from decaying vegetation or faecal material. The newly hatched young are nidicolous and covered with dense down.

Excluded Taxa

Vagrant Species

CAVS:8669
SPHENISCIDAE: Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi Mathews & Iredale, 1921 [Northern Rockhopper Penguin; vagrant to Heard and Macquarie Islands, also treated as a species (e.g. del Hoyo & Collar, 2014) but retained here as a subspecies of E. chrysocome pending further study (see Christidis & Boles, 2008)] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [99, 100]; del Hoyo, J. & Collar, N.J. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International illustrated checklist of the birds of the world. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Barcelona : Lynx Edicions pp. 903. [368]

CAVS:0923
SPHENISCIDAE: Eudyptes robustus Oliver, 1953 [Snares Penguin] — Marchant, S. & Higgins, P. (coordinators) 1990. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Melbourne : Oxford University Press Vol. 1 Pt A 735 pp. 53 pls. [206–207]; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [98]

CAVS:0959
SPHENISCIDAE: Eudyptes sclateri Buller, 1888 [Erect-crested Penguin; vagrant to Tasmaia and southern Australia] — Anonymous 1969. An Index of Australian Bird Names. Division of WIldlife Research Technical Paper. Canberra : CSIRO Vol. No. 20 pp. 93. [5]; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Simpson, K. & Day, N. 2004. Birds of Australia. Camberwell, Victoria : Penguin Group (Australia) Edn 7, pp. 382. [283]; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [100]

CAVS:0924
SPHENISCIDAE: Pygoscelis adeliae (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841) [Adelie Penguin; vagrant on Heard & Macquarie Islands] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Simpson, K. & Day, N. 2004. Birds of Australia. Camberwell, Victoria : Penguin Group (Australia) Edn 7, pp. 382. [283]; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [19, 100]

CAVS:0858
SPHENISCIDAE: Spheniscus magellanicus (J.R. Forster, 1781) [Magellanic Penguin; one Australian record, beach-washed, Phillip Island, Vic. (31 March 1976)] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Simpson, K. & Day, N. 2004. Birds of Australia. Camberwell, Victoria : Penguin Group (Australia) Edn 7, pp. 382. [283]; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [100]

General References

Baker, A.J., Pereira, S.L., Haddrath, O.P. & Edge, K-A. 2006. Multiple gene evidence for expansion of extant penguins out of Antarctica due to global cooling. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 273: 11-17

Bertelli, S. & Giannini, N.P. 2005. A phylogeny of extant penguins (Aves: Sphenisciformes) combining morphology and mitochondrial sequences. Cladistics 21: 209-239

Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp.

Giannini , N.P. & Bertelli, S. 2004. Phylogeny of extant penguins based on integumentary and breeding characters. Auk 121: 422-434

Ksepka, D.T., Bertelli, S. & Giannini, N.P. 2006. The phylogeny of the living and fossil Sphenisciformes (penguins). Cladistics 22: 412-441

Sibley, C.G. & Ahlquist, J.E. 1990. Phylogeny and Classification of Birds. A Study in Molecular Evolution. New Haven : Yale University Press xxiii 976 pp.

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