Meet Our African Penguins | California Academy of Sciences

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You know them. You love them. But can you name them? Identify the Academy's African penguins with this field guide to our colony.

Our birds may look similar, but their colored wing bands (and unique penguin-alities) help staff and guests tell them apart. Males are banded on the right wing, females on the left, and couples typically share a wing band color. Enjoy observing our penguins frolic, feed, swim, and preen!

Penguin feedings are 10:30 am and 3 pm daily. Tune in to our live penguin webcam, streaming 24/7!

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Nandi, an African penguin chick on exhibit in Tusher African Hall at California Academy of Sciences

Nandi

Sex: Female
Wing band: Maroon w/ white stripe (left)
Hatched: Jan. 2024
Partner: Unpaired

Nandi, currently the youngest bird in the colony, means "sweet" in Zulu. She is living up to her name.

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Alice, an African penguin, on exhibit in Tusher African Hall at California Academy of Sciences

Alice

Sex: Female
Wing band: Green w/ white stripe (left)
Hatched: Nov. 2023
Partner: Unpaired

Alice is named after legendary Academy botany curator Alice Eastwood. Alice the penguin is hungry all the time. Alice the botanist's appetite is unknown.

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Nelson, an African penguin chick, on exhibit in Tusher African Hall at California Academy of Sciences

Nelson

Sex: Male
Wing band: Red w/ white stripe (right)
Hatched: Nov. 2023
Partner: Unpaired

Nelson is a water baby. Watch our underwater webcam on YouTube to see him in action under the surface.

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Portrait of Fyn, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Fyn

Sex: Female
Wing band: Pink w/ black stripe (left)
Hatched: Aug. 2023
Partner: Unpaired

Hatched to parents Stanlee and Bernie, Fyn graduated from “fish school” and joined the colony in January. Her excitable antics have spiced up the colony.

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Portrait of Lazola, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Lazola

Sex: Male
Wing band: Black w/ white stripe (right)
Hatched: Feb. 2023
Partner: Unpaired

Lazola is an attention hog. The youngest of Poppy and Darcy’s three chicks, he has been known to push other birds out of the way in his quest for the spotlight.

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Portrait of Ignatz, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Ignatz

Sex: Male
Wing band: White w/ black stripe (right)
Hatched: Feb. 2023
Partner: Unpaired

Iggie gets a kick out of pinching biologists for extra fish during feeding time. The second-youngest of Poppy and Darcy’s three chicks, he hatched three days before brother Lazola.

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Portrait of Oswald "Ozzie" Cobblebot, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Ozzie

Sex: Female
Wing band: Light blue w/ white stripe (left)
Hatched: Dec. 2022
Partner: Unpaired

Oswald “Ozzie” Cobblebot is the eldest offspring of Poppy and Darcy. She’s curious and loves to swim, but will never pass up a free ride from a biologist.

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Portrait of Tule, an African penguin at the Academy

Tule

Sex: Female
Wing band: Yellow (left)
Hatched: Dec. 2019
Partner: Grendel

Tule has spots above her eyes that look like eyelashes. She loves collecting material for her nest box. With her beak in everybody’s business, Tule is never far from colony conflicts and squabbles.

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Poppy, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy, swimming in her habitat

Poppy

Sex: Female
Wing band: Orange (left)
Hatched: Jan. 2018
Partner: Darcy

Poppy is Tule's sister. A dedicated shell collector, you can often find her foraging the habitat's "seafloor" for shells to bring back to the nest box she shares with Darcy.

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Stanlee, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy, swims in her habitat

Stanlee

Sex: Female
Wing band: Teal (left)
Hatched: Nov. 2018
Partner: Bernie

Stanlee has small white dots on her back, slightly unusual for this species. Loud and proud, she and Bernie love to bray. Green felt is her favorite nesting material.

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Parker, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy, holds a red felt heart in her beak

Parker

Sex: Female
Wing band: Blue (left)
Hatched: Jan. 2016
Partner: Tux

Parker hatched at the Academy, spent several years at the San Diego Zoo, and is now back in her hometown. She and Tux are fierce defenders of their nest box.

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Bernie, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy, looks curiously at the camea

Bernie

Sex: Male
Wing band: Teal (right)
Hatched: Nov. 2015
Partner: Stanlee

Bernie is the colony’s best nesting material collector and often collects alongside Stanlee—but they are not above stealing from each other. He occasionally miscalculates a step and falls off the bridge.

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Darcy, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy, holds a red felt heart valentine in his beak

Darcy

Sex: Male
Wing band: Orange (right)
Hatched: Feb. 2013
Partner: Poppy

Along with Dunker, Darcy is one of our two biggest birds. He’s a bit of a jock, able to catch fish with ease both in and out of water.

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Portrait of Ty, an African penguin at the Academy, holding a piece of green felt

Ty

Sex: Female
Wing band: Green (left)
Hatched: Jan. 2011
Partner: Robben

Ty is a picky eater, preferring herring almost exclusively. During feedings, she’ll run up to a biologist, grab her meal, and then quickly run away. An experienced mother, she’s raised lots of chicks.

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Kianga and Dunker, African penguins on exhibit at the Academy, stand side by side

Dunker (right)

Sex: Male
Wing band: Red (right)
Hatched: Mar. 2007
Partner: Kianga

Along with Darcy, Dunker is one of our two biggest birds. He’s easily recognizable thanks to the unique plumage on his back that resembles a cowlick. He's an excellent foster parent.

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Kianga and Dunker, African penguins on exhibit at the Academy, stand side by side

Kianga (middle)

Sex: Female
Wing band: Red (left)
Hatched: May 2007
Partner: Dunker

One of our smallest birds, Kianga has a distinctive arched beak. While she and Dunker haven’t had any offspring of their own, they have successfully fostered several chicks, including Pogo in late-2022.

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Portrait of Pete, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Pete

Sex: Male
Wing band: Purple (right)
Hatched: July 2007
Partner: Opal

Pete is a messy eater. His partner Opal is the most senior member of the colony, but that doesn’t stop him from flirting with Holly, one of our senior biologists.

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Portrait of Tux, African penguin at the Academy, against a blue backdrop

Tux

Sex: Male
Wing band: Blue (right)
Hatched: July 2006
Partner: Parker

Tux is a homebody, preferring to relax in—and defend—his nest box than swim and socialize. His eyes are noticeably puffier than the other birds’.

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Portrait of Robben, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Robben

Sex: Male
Wing band: Green (right)
Hatched: Sep. 2001
Partner: Ty

Robben is a good father—and a lousy neighbor. Always on the lookout for better real estate, he won’t hesitate to boot other birds out of their nest boxes if he decides it’s his turn.

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Grendel, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy, stands among red felt valentine hearts

Grendel

Sex: Male
Wing band: Yellow (right)
Hatched: Oct. 1991
Partner: Tule

While not nearly as beastly as his Beowulfian namesake, this sassy senior bird will bite your shins. Grendel and Tule enjoy exploring the habitat together and checking in on their humans.

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Portrait of Opal, an African penguin on exhibit at the Academy

Opal

Sex: Female
Wing band: Purple (left)
Hatched: Feb. 1988
Partner: Pete

The eldest member of our colony, Opal’s feats of athleticism belie her age. Still spry, she has perfected the art and science of catching fish in midair.

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Egg-citing news!

Between November 2022 and January 2024, our African penguin colony expanded by an unprecedented 10 chicks. View our press release to learn more!

Baby African penguin chick yawning in an Academy biologist's gloved hands

https://calacademy.org/press/releases/theres-a-penguin-baby-boom-at-the-californ…