Episode 11: Humboldt Penguins with Stefanie Boyer

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INTRO (00:00)

*Intro Music – you and me the adventure, me and you to the zoo*

Emily Bishop: Hello and welcome to the Sedgwick County ZooCast where we are inspiring respect and conservation for wildlife and wild places through caring, connecting, and conserving.

I’m your host Emily Bishop, and today on the zoo cast, we’ll be sitting down with zookeeper Stefanie Boyer to talk about Humboldt penguins.

Keep listening to learn what a penguin’s favorite fish is, how you can help these birds at the Zoo and in the wild, and all about a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the Humboldt penguins.

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INTERVIEW WITH ZOOKEEPER STEFANIE BOYER // LEARN ABOUT HUMBOLDT PENGUINS (00:45)

BISHOP: Thank you for joining us here on the ZooCast today. So, if just to get started, you could give an introduction, talk about who you are and what it is you do here at SCZ.

STEFANIE BOYER: Yeah, hello, thank you for having me. My name is Stefanie Boyer and I am an ASA bird keeper. So that means I work in Australia and South America exhibit. We have the walkthrough and then I also work with the Humboldt penguin exhibit as well.

BISHOP: So how did you get started working with penguins?

BOYER: Oh, man. Well, when I started here, 10 years ago, that was one of the routines that we have, but I also have prior bird experience. I actually went to South Africa and worked at a penguin rehab there name SANCOB. And it’s just a penguin rehabilitation center for the African penguins. And so, I did a little stint there too. And so, I kind of fell in love with him there. So yeah…

BISHOP: So, I think when most people think of penguins, they tend to picture like emperor penguins, penguins in snowy climates. But that’s not what we have here at Sedgwick County Zoo. We have Humboldt penguins.

BOYER: That’s correct. Yes, the Humboldt penguins. They are a bird. They do have feathers, they have about 50 feathers per square inch, but they are from the rocky coasts of Chile and Peru in South America. So, their native time- climate is between normally like 40- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit. So, they like more of the temperate climate, kinda like here. Obviously, we have colder weather and warmer weather, but they do pretty well with the extreme.

BISHOP: Yeah. So, penguins are found, like all over the place, not just the Arctic- or Antarctic.

BOYER: Yeah, they’re all below the equator. So, all in the southern hemisphere. And you have penguins from the Galapagos all the way down to, yes, the Antarctic species. There’s actually more penguins- of the 17 species, there’s more that are from a warmer climate, like the Galapagos and the Africans, and so forth, so…

BISHOP: So, we have quite a few penguins here at SCZ. Can you tell us about them?

BOYER: Yeah, we have 30 of them. And we- our youngest one is a little over a year old. And our oldest one is a female, and she is 25. So quite the range we have here. And in typical like, zoo- type situation, they can live 20 to 30 years we have, you know, food provided for them. And then they also have you know, vet staff on hand that helps them. So like I said, they can they can live quite a long time.

BISHOP: I know that not all the animals here at the Zoo have names. Do any of the penguins get to have names?

BOYER: Yes, they do. We really use their band colors to communicate with each other about which bird is which. So, we have- we read left wing to right wing. So, we have orange, blue, green, white, and so forth. And that’s essentially their names that we use for them.

But some of them do have house names. So, you’ll, you’ll hear sometimes in the penguin encounter we’ll point out a certain bird that’s “Chile” or so forth. But… So they do have some special names , for a couple of them.

BISHOP: But the bands are the main way that you can tell them apart?

BOYER: Exactly.

BISHOP: Yeah. Can you talk a bit about any, like, quirks or kind of personalities with the penguins?

BOYER: Yeah, I mean, they definitely all have their personalities. They all have a different pattern of dots arranged on their chest, it’s kind of like their fingerprint. So, in addition to those bands, they also have a transponder too. So just like a chip you use for your dog or cat. They also have that as well. So multiple ways of telling them apart.

BISHOP:  Yeah, and 30 Penguins that’s… that’s quite a lot in one area. So how- how do you kind of manage all of the birds?

BOYER: Well, we keep track of, like I said, those bands help us identify them and who is getting what medicated fish. Becuase they do get a medicated fish every morning. We put a multivitamin into the gill of the fish, and then they also get a vitamin B supplement every other day. And then they’re also on an avian malaria preventative on a schedule. And so, we keep a keep track of who’s getting their… their medicated fish and stuff like that. And obviously, if they’re not eating that medicated fish, then you know, a little bit of a red flag, we’ll keep monitoring their food consumption and that kind of thing.

BISHOP: So, the penguins are in also with gray gulls and Inca terns.

BOYER: That’s correct.

BISHOP: So, do they all get along with each other?

BOYER: Yeah, for the most part, they do really well- they do really well. Penguins obviously don’t fly, they have heavy bones like we do. So, they more or less just fly through the water. But we do have some flighted birds, not currently are in our exhibit, because it’s a little too cold for them. But in the summertime, we have two gray gulls and a handful of Inca terns as well. So, you’ll see them all together.

BISHOP: They all get along, they’ll hang out.

BOYER: Yes. They coexist pretty well together.

BISHOP: Good. Well, I would- I mean, I would hope, obviously.

BOYER: I mean, the Inca terns and the gray gulls are also from South America. So, you find all these birds natively too in South America.

BISHOP: Yeah. So, it’s very… very similar to the wild.

BOYER: Exactly, yes.

BISHOP: So, we offer a Wild Encounter with the penguins. Can you talk about that? What is it?

BOYER: Yeah, we offer penguin encounters. And it’s just part of our program that people can pay to come and have an experience with the penguins. So, we’ll talk about the penguins, you can learn more about them. And then also you will get the opportunity to feed them as well. They get fed four different kinds of fish. And they have smelt, herring, trout, and capelin that we feed them. So, you can have the opportunity to feed them as well.

BISHOP: What all can guests expect during a Penguin Wild Encounter?

BOYER: Well, like I said, they… we talk about them and you can learn everything that you want to know about the Humboldt penguin- where they’re from, and that kind of thing. And then the guests will have opportunities to feed them as well, so…

BISHOP: Yeah, a little penguin interaction.

BOYER: That’s right.

BISHOP: So, our Humboldt penguins can be found at the Cessna Penguin Cove. But what is a Humboldt penguin’s habitat like in the wild?

BOYER: Well, our exhibit kind of mirrors what they have in the wild. So, you’d find them on the rocky coasts of Chile and Peru. And it mirrors you know, because they’re- they’re from they’re named after that Humboldt Current that brings nutrient rich waters up through Antarctica, and that provides an abundance of fish and that kind of thing, so

BISHOP: Oh, I didn’t know they were named after the current.

BOYER: Yeah.

BISHOP: I just, I kind of just assumed they were named after some guy- Mr. Humboldt.

BOYER: There is also the Humboldt… I can’t remember his name, but yes, he’s part of it, too.

BISHOP: Oh, very interesting.

So what niche are they fulfilling within their habitat? What’s their role?

BOYER: I mean, they are very important to the ecosystem. A lot of their habitat is being lost. You know, there’s overfishing by industrial fisheries, and they’re taking away their prey and such. And also, global warming, El Nino, you know, the warmer waters are also driving those fish away as well. So yeah, they’re, they’re really important for the environment and the ecosystem there.

The Punta San Juan reserve down in South America, they monitor the guano, which is just seabird feces, but they use that to make their nests out of in the wild. So, a lot of it had been depleted previously, where they live. It makes really good fertilizer. So that’s why a lot of it had been depleted. But this reserve helps the protection of the land and marine mammals and- and birds that are down there. So, they do, they do a great job, and we actually partner with them. And we’ve sent staff there before to help with the census and the guano monitoring and that kind of thing as well, so…

BISHOP: So, the main threat to the Humboldt penguins is like habitat encroachment and loss of habitat because of that.

BOYER: Yes.

BISHOP: So, if listeners wanted to get involved with Humboldt penguin conservation, what could they do?

BOYER: Um, well, they can… we have some stuff on our website, it talks about the Punta San Juan. Um, you can look at that and help donate and research that. Yeah, there’s multiple ways they can get involved.

They can check out a sustainable fish options on… such as SeafoodWatch.org and look for certified products that have a certified sustainable label on the package.

Also, just coming to the Zoo helps. The part of our… part of the portion of the money goes to their conservation programs. And then also just things in your everyday life like going with plastic free options and stuff like that. So yeah.

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LEARN HOW THE ZOO TAKES THE STRESS OUT OF HOLIDAY SHOPPING (10:15)

BISHOP: We’ll be back in a moment to learn more about Humboldt penguins. But first, let’s hear about how the Zoo makes holiday shopping easy.

Trying to find the perfect gift for a loved one can be tough. Shopping during the holiday season is stressful.

So why not make things easy and get your loved one a gift they’ll never forget?

When you purchase the Sedgwick County Zoo’s Holiday Gift Membership, you not only get two additional guest passes, but 15 months of membership for the cost of 12. Enjoy unlimited visits to the Zoo, early entry, discounts on special events, and early access to the Sedgwick County ZooCast.

Visit scz.org/membership and select the holiday gift membership option to get started.

This year, take the stress out of holiday shopping and give the gift of membership.

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WHAT DO ZOO VISITORS THINK ABOUT THE HUMBOLDT PENGUINS? (11:15)

BISHOP: The great thing about this Sedgwick County Zoo is that not only are we a place with a passion for conservation and education, but we also have a passion for community. It’s a great place to socialize. So, the Sedgwick County ZooCast team took to the streets to ask visitors what they thought about Humboldt penguins.

VARIOUS GUESTS:

Um, I think they’re always fun to watch. I mean, they’re just comical and just kind of in their own little world.

I thought they were really cool.

They were cute.

They were really cool and they’re real cute.

I like how they swim.

I like the way they waddle.

I love the penguins. They’re amazing. They’re definitely the best because they can stay out all year round.

They swim better than me.

I think they’re tiny and cute.

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ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE (12:10)

BISHOP: Now we have some questions from the audience. And these questions were all submitted to us through our Instagram, @SedgwickCountyZoo.

@Kamren.Wade wants to know, “how tall are they?”

BOYER: Oh, gosh, um, they come up to about my knee. So, I think around…. Oh gosh, two feet tall or so.

BISHOP: About two feet? How does that compare to like, other types of penguins?

BOYER: That’s more of the mid-size. There are smaller ones. The smallest one is the little blue or the fairy penguin from Australia New Zealand area. And then the largest is the emperor penguin standing quite tall. I’m not entirely sure how tall they are. But there’s quite a range.

BISHOP: Yeah… And ours fall right in the middle?

BOYER: Yes.

BISHOP: @AnnMarbels wants to know, “what time do they settle down for the night?”

BOYER: Well, typically on a day-to-day basis, we bring them inside around 4:30 – 4:45. And they come into an inside holding for the night. And we do that because they are susceptible to diseases by mosquitoes. And so, they do come inside so they’re not around the mosquitoes. And then obviously we don’t have that as much of an issue in the wintertime, so… But it just keeps them on a routine of coming inside. We do maintenance work to the glass and so forth. And so, they liked the routine and it helps us out as well.

BISHOP: @MegChapman18 wants to know, “what are their favorite foods?”

BOYER: Well, in the wild, they actually feed primar- primarily on fish. And here we do just feed them an assortment of fish. Most of them really tend to go towards the trout, that’s pretty much everyone’s favorite, so…

BISHOP: Everyone loves the trout.

BOYER: They do

BISHOP: The other ones are just… they’re just there.

BOYER: Yeah, and they you know, like I said, they all have personalities and they all kind of have their favorite fish. There’s some you know that like the smelt, the smaller stuff more. And then we have the big you know, heartier, more nutritious fish, the herring and so. But yeah, I would say most of them kind of tend to the trout, so…

BISHOP: When you’re feeding them, do you have to kind of like, feed them in waves so that everyone gets fed or is it isn’t more of like a free for all?

BOYER: Yeah, I mean, I have a checklist. And so, I make sure everyone is getting their medicated fish and then I’m just monitoring what they’re eating and that kind of thing. But you know, like I said, we do use those bands to help identify them. And then it just depends on the time of year sometimes. Their appetites kind of go up and down a little bit.

So, when they’re getting ready to go into molt, which they do just once a year. They eat a bunch of food so they can have that fat storage because they don’t normally go into the water, they don’t have, they won’t have those waterproof feathers. And they just get really fat and their wings swell up, and they’re just not… They’re not made for the water during that time. So, they bulk up around the summertime, and then they kind of wane a little bit. And then during breeding season, then they’ll kick back up a little bit as well.

BISHOP: Yeah. Can you talk a little bit more about the molting?

BOYER: Yeah, they go through what’s called a catastrophic molt, meaning they lose all their feathers from head to toe, in just a period of a couple of weeks. And so, it’s pretty unique to penguins, but it’s usually between May and July. And so, like I said, they, they lose their old, almost brownish colored feathers and get their new black and white feathers in. So, it takes roughly two to three weeks for them to go through the whole process.

BISHOP: Yeah. Why do they do that?

BOYER: I mean, when they have their feathers for a year, and they’re using them, you know, they just, they get old and dingy. And so, they just replace them like other birds. Like the terns and gulls are kind of constantly losing feathers here and there and getting them back. So, I mean, obviously with the penguin it just makes sense for them to just lose them all, get them back, and then they’re good to go for the year.

It aids in them waterproofing since they do spend a lot of time in the water, so it helps them get those new feathers that they’re, they’re perfect for getting back in the water and spending all that time that they do in the water.

BISHOP: @RyanAllara asks, “is Nathan a good name for a penguin?”

BOYER: Nathan? I mean, that’s actually my brother’s name. So, it’s a great name.

BISHOP: It’s a great penguin name.

Do we… What- what are some of the names that our penguins do have besides like, green band pink band?

BOYER: Yeah. A lot of them have espagnole names. So, we have like places in South America too. We have Lima and Chile and, and Machu and that kind of thing. So that’s most of them, or we have an Azul for- that means blue, and that kind of things.

BISHOP: And finally, this was a- this was a two questions for the price of one deal. @RandyFan111 asks, “how often do the penguins get fed, and are they allowed to breed freely?”

BOYER: They do get fed twice a day. We feed once in the morning, like I said, they get that medicated fish and we feed some other, usually capelin and that kind of thing in the morning. And then in the afternoon, when we bring them inside, then they kind of get all the kinds of fish that they want. It helps encourage them to come inside for the night. So, and then, um, for the penguin encounter, and then I also have a penguin chat at 3:45. And so they get a little snack then as well.

BISHOP: Yeah. What do you cover during your penguin chat?

BOYER: Oh, I cover just their natural history, what they eat, where they live, their climate, and the bands, and their conservation status, and that kind of thing. So, a little bit of everything.

BISHOP: Just a flyover of the penguins.

BOYER: Yes.

BISHOP: Despite, you know, flightless birds, but still a flyover.

And then, yeah, are they allowed to breed freely?

BOYER: In the wild, they usually will go through two nesting seasons. But here, um we just usually do the one. And so normally, in the wintertime, usually we’ll open up nest boxes. And we have certain pairs that will pair up. This is… The species is list- listed as vulnerable, meaning their population still isn’t great.

But we have a species survival plan that gives us recommendations on who we should pair up for breeding each year so we can keep the genetics diverse. So, our pairs can fluctuate from year to year, just based on those numbers. And so, we have six nest boxes. And based on those pairs, then the female will lay one to two eggs. And it takes about 38 to 40 days for those chicks to hatch. They will hatch in the nest boxes with the parents, both male and female take care of the eggs, as well as the chicks that hatch.

And after about a month and a half. Then we actually pull the penguin chicks inside to holding so we can teach him how to hand feed from us and then we introduce them to a pool. And then we work on shifting back and forth and then usually three to four months later, then they join the rest of the colony outside. So they do grow really fast.

BISHOP: Yeah, so those nesting boxes are off exhibit?

BOYER: Yes, you can see the front of them through the front of the exhibit. But then yeah, the backside where their nest boxes actually are, are in the back.

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LEARN ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP WITH HUMBOLDT PENGUIN CONSERVATION AND CARE (19:59)

BISHOP: Before Stephanie and I finish our conversation about Humboldt penguins, let’s learn about how you can help with their conservation and care.

If you’ve enjoyed learning all about Humboldt penguins in today’s episode, consider adopting one and become a Zoo Pal.

Starting at just $25, as a Zoo Pal, your donation goes directly towards the care of Sedgwick County Zoo animals. We also have some great perks for Zoo Pals, including recognition in the Zoo, a certificate of adoption, a plush animal, and more.

Adopt a Humboldt penguin and become a Zoo Pal today. Just visit scz.org for more information.

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CLOSING THOUGHTS ON HUMBOLDT PENGUINS (20:48)

BISHOP: As an ending note, I just have a few more questions.

What question do you get asked the most by guests about the penguins?

BOYER: Oh, gosh… um, well, normally when I’m on exhibit, everyone asked how I got onto the exhibit, which I always find really humorous. But um, I would say some people ask why they look like they wear tuxedos. And I would say that they have counter shading. So, they use that- it’s kind of like a camouflage. So, their black backs match the dark ocean floor. That helps them blend in a little bit.

BISHOP: Oh, and then their tummies are white, because if it’s underneath it’s the reverse, it’s the light.

BOYER: Yes, exactly. It’s really cool.

BISHOP: Yeah, I didn’t know that’s why they were wearing little tuxes.

So, what is your favorite thing about the Humboldt penguins?

BOYER: Um, I would say just that they all have their character, and they all have personality. And even if I didn’t have those bands, I could probably still tell them apart just based on their personality.

BISHOP: They’re all still little individual penguins.

BOYER: Yeah, they are. Yeah, they’re very cute. But they’re very onery. They’re, you know, if I was to have kids, I have fur-kids, but they kind of you know, you love them. But they are onery sometimes.

BISHOP: Yeah. Do you ever… Do you ever get the penguins like, trying to trick you? Like trying to get more fish than they’re supposed to get or something? Or…

BOYER: I mean, there’s definitely some that will hoard around you. And they’re like, “hey, pick me pick me” all the time. But don’t worry, they all get fed evenly.

BISHOP: So, what is your favorite thing about working with the penguins?

BOYER: I enjoy working with the species that has, you know that we partner with their counter- wild counterparts and we can help you know, sustain them in the wild. And there’s so many programs that…  that help them out in the wild and I just enjoy telling other people about them. And they’re… they’re cool birds.

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OUTRO (23:00)

BISHOP: Thanks for listening to the Sedgwick County ZooCast.

This podcast is recorded on the traditional land of the Kiowa, Osage, Wichita, and Ute people, who have been stewards of the land since time immemorial.

This episode was researched, written and produced by me, Emily Bishop.

We’d like to give a special thank you to Stefanie Boyer, for sitting down and talking with us about Humboldt penguins.

Thank you to the Sedgwick County Zoo’s, Marketing and Communication team.

And a special thank you to our Zoo Members, whose support makes this podcast possible. If you’re interested in becoming a Zoo Member, visit scz.org/membership.

Be sure to give us a follow so you never miss when we upload new episodes.

Thanks again for listening. Until next time, I’m Emily Bishop and this has been the Sedgwick County ZooCast.