Questions Sea Life

How Big Are Penguins – Height & Weight of Every Species

How Big Are Penguins Height & Weight of Every Species

Penguins are a group of flightless aquatic birds, that have a unique countertide appearance, found exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. There are approximately 18 species of penguins known which may look similar but do vary in length as well as weight. Each of these species is listed below.

Penguins – Height & Weight Of Every Species 

Penguins vary in length as well as in weight from species to species. On average, the length of the specie measure from 15 to 45 inches whereas the weight measure around 2 to 88 pounds.  The 18 species of penguins with varying sizes are enlisted here:

SpeciesScientific NameGeographyLengthWeightPopulationLife SpanStatus
Emperor PenguinAptenodytes forsteriAntarctic Mainland45 inches or 115 cm77 to 88 pounds or 25 to 40 kg120,000 breeding pairs20 to 40 yearsLeast concern
King PenguinAptenodytes patagonicusSub Antarctic islands, Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands35 to 37 inches or 90 to 95 cm30 to 35 pounds and 13 to 16 kg1.6 million breeding pairs13 to 15 yearsLeast Concern
Gentoo PenguinPygoscelis papuaFalkland Islands, South Georgia and Chile29 to 35 inches or 75 to 90 cm11 to 18 pounds or 5 to 8 kg400,000 breeding pairs12 to 15 yearsNear Threatened
Royal PenguinEudyptes schlegeliMacquarie and Campbell Islands and south of New Zealand26 to 30 inches or 65 to 75 cm13 to 18 pounds or 6 to 8 kg850,000 breeding pairs15 to 20 yearsVulnerable
Yellow-Eyed PenguinMegadyptes antipodesNew Zealand, Stewart Island, South Island Foveaux Strait,2 to 30 inches or 65 to 75 cm11 to 13 pounds or 5 to 6 kg1,700 breeding pairs12 to 20 yearsEndangered
Adelie PenguinPygoscelis adeliaeMainland of Antarctica24 to 28 inches or 60 to 70 cm8.75 to 12 pounds or 4 to 5 kg2.4 million breeding pairs15 to 20 yearsLeast Concern
Fiordland PenguinEudyptes pachyrhynchusNew Zealand24 to 28 inches or 60 to 71 cm4.5 to 13.1 pounds or 2.5 to 6 kg1,500 to 5,000 breeding pairs10 to 15 yearsVulnerable
Magellanic PenguinSpheniscus magellanicusCoastal Argentina, Falkland Islands, Chile and   southern Brazil24 to 30 inches or 61 to 76 cm8 to 14 pounds or 4 to 6 kg1.5 million breeding pairs15 to 20 yearsNear Threatened
Macaroni PenguinEudyptes chrysolophusAntarctic islands, Atlantic and Indian oceans, Peninsula, Chile and Argentina28 inches or 70 cm7 to 14 pounds or 3.2 to 6.4 kg9 million breeding pairs11.4 yearsVulnerable
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusSouth Africa27 inches or 69 cm7 to 11 pounds or 2.5 to 4 kg15,000 breeding pairs20 yearsEndangered
Humboldt PenguinSpheniscus humboldtiCoastal regions of Chile and Peru26 to 28 inches or 65 to 70 cm9 to 11 pounds or 4 to 5 kg16,000 breeding pairs12 to 15 yearsVulnerable
Chinstrap PenguinPygoscelis antarcticusAntarctic Peninsula, sub-Antarctic Region, South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia, Balleny Islands27 to 28 inches or 68 to 72 cm9 to 14 pounds or 3.5 to 5 kg4 million breeding pairs15 to 20 yearsLeast Concern
Northern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes moseleyisub-Antarctic regions, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Island22 inches or 57 cm7 to 10 pounds or 3 to 4.3 kg190,000-230,000 breeding pairs9 to 12 yearsEndangered
Southern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes chrysocomeMacquarie Island, Campbell Island, the Falklands, and the Antipodes21inches or 55 cm5 to 8 pounds or 2.2 to 3.5 kg1.2 million breeding pairs11.5 yearsVulnerable
Galapagos PenguinSpheniscus mendiculusFernandina Island and west coast of Isabela Island and Galapagos archipelago island16 to 19 inches or 40 to 50 cm4.5 to 5.5 pounds or 2.2 to 5 kg600 breeding pairs12 to 15 yearsEndangered
Little PenguinEudyptula minorChatham Islands, New Zealand, Tasmania, and southern Australia14 to 16 inches or 35 to 40 cm2.25 pounds or 1 kg250,000 breeding pairs6 to 10 yearsLeast Concern
Snares PenguinEudyptes robustusNew Zealand20 to 24 inches or 50 to 60 cm6 to 9 pounds or 2.5 to 4 kg32,000 breeding pairs12 to 20 yearsVulnerable
Erect-Crested PenguinEudyptes sclateriAustralia, Southern Ocean, New Zealand20 to 28 inches or 50 to 70 cm5.5 to 13.2 pounds or 2.5 to 6 kg68,000 breeding pairs12 yearsEndangered

Final Verdict

There are approximately 18 species of penguins are known, which varies greatly in size. Among all, the Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest species whereas the Little penguins are considered the smallest ones. The size of the penguins matters a lot because it helps them to stay for a long period under the water and to take e deep dives when chasing prey.

About the author

Zubaria

I am a Scholar and a dedicated content writer. I am on a mission to stamp out the importance of one of the ocean's most fascinating and remarkable creatures, the sharks, and to let people know about their role in keeping the ecosystem in equilibrium.