Penguin Awareness Day is today, Tuesday, January 20, 2026; and in honor of this day, this article will present photographs of five different species of penguins.
Penguin Awareness Day is Today: January 20
The habitat of most penguins is exclusively in the southern hemisphere; and what they have in common is that they are sea birds which are semi-aquatic and flightless.
Without further ado, here are photographs of the five different species of penguins.
1. Little Penguin
Eudyptula minor novaehollandiae
The Little penguin is the smallest species of penguin in the world; and it originates from the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes referred to as the little blue penguin because of the slight blue coloration of its plumage. Their diet consists of small fish — such as sardines, pilchards, and whitebait — and occasionally squid and crustaceans.
2. Galápagos Penguin
Spheniscus mendiculus
As the only species of penguin that can be found north of the equator — and just barely so — the Galápagos penguin is endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador and found nowhere else on the planet. The cool waters of the Cromwell Current and the Humboldt Current allow the Galápagos penguin to survive despite the location of its habitat in the tropical latitude. The Galápagos penguin is classified as an endangered species.
3. Adélie Penguin
Pygoscelis adeliae
Adélie penguins are only found along the entire coast of Antarctica. The colors of their plumage are primarily black and white, with a white ring encircling each eye. They feed on mainly krill and fish. These Adélie penguins were on a light blue iceberg in Charlotte Bay off of Antarctica. I found out that one cannot order a pastrami sandwich from Adélie in Antarctica.
4. Chinstrap Penguin
Pygoscelis antarcticus
The narrow black band under the head of the Chinstrap penguin gives the appearance as though it is wearing a black helmet — hence its name. Chinstrap penguins inhabit various islands and shores in the southern Pacific Ocean and what used to be known as the Antarctic Ocean. This Chinstrap penguin was walking on snow on Barrientos Island, which is a small island in the Aitcho group on the west side of English Strait in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.
5. Gentoo Penguin
Pygoscelis papua
The Gentoo penguin is easily recognized by the broad white stripe that extends like a bonnet across the top of its head — as well as its bright orange-red bill and pink webbed feet. Gentoo penguins are found mostly on islands between Antarctica and South America in a narrow band that extends almost to New Zealand; and they have been sighted as far north as Buenos Aires in Argentina.
6. Blue-Footed Booby
Sula nebouxii
The blue-footed booby is only found in —
…hey — wait a minute. How did the three of you sneak into this article?!? You are not penguins. Get outta here! You will be featured in your own separate article in the near future — maybe two articles if you behave.
What a bunch of boobies.
Final Boarding Call
Seeing how clumsy penguins generally are — as they seem to fall a lot — having nature place these klutzy birds in environments that are cold, slippery, hilly, and rocky seems cruel…
…but they also can be friendly and adorable. Having penguins walk up to people and put on a little show is not uncommon.
Anyway, this article is dedicated to all of the penguins around the world on this special day known as Penguin Awareness Day. Let us celebrate penguins and be aware of them!
Do penguins eat cake? I am asking for a friend…
All photographs ©2024 and ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
