What Endangered Means And Other IUCN Terms For Species?
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed several species on its list of those considered to be endangered.
Species that are endangered are ones that are in danger of going extinct in the near future or that are already on the verge of extinction. There are a variety of causes for this, some of which are natural and others of which are the result of human activity.
The Categories and Criteria of the IUCN Red List are designed to be a classification system that is simple and straightforward, so that it may be understood by as many people as possible.
It assigns each species to one of nine different categories, which are as follows: Not Evaluated, Near Threatened, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct.
Are Penguins Endangered?
Yes, it is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s penguin species are either nearly extinct or critically endangered.
The IUCN, which is a globally renowned body that evaluates the conservation status of wildlife species and habitats, has determined that five different species of penguins are in danger of extinction.
In order for international conservation efforts to concentrate on the protection of specific species, the IUCN compiles a list of those species that are threatened with extinction and includes them on its Red List of Threatened Species.
There are seven additional species that are also considered to be vulnerable or near-threatened, while the remaining six species are considered to be of “Least Concern,” which indicates that their population levels are stable and do not currently call for any special attention from the conservation community.
The Yellow-eyed Penguin, the Galapagos Penguin, the Erect-crested Penguin, the African Penguin, and the Northern Rockhopper Penguin are the five different species of penguins that are considered to be endangered.
There are a great number of other species that are experiencing population reductions as well, including twelve out of the eighteen different species of penguins. The decreasing sea ice in Antarctica, which penguins require as a breeding platform, presents a unique set of dangers for the species of penguins who call that continent home.
In spite of this, there are two different kinds of penguins whose populations are expanding; these are the King Penguins and the Adelie Penguins.
Penguin Population & Their IUCN Status
The remaining penguin population is estimated to be between 30 and 31 million, which are distributed among 18 different species. The Adelie penguin is the most prevalent species, with a population of 10 million individuals.
The Galapagos penguin, on the other hand, has a population of just 1,200 individuals and is the species with the smallest population.
The following table provides a breakdown of the various penguin species as well as the number of penguins that are still alive:
| Penguin Species | Population Size | IUCN Endangerment Status |
| Adelie Penguin | 10,000,000 | Least Concern |
| Chinstrap Penguin | 8,000,000 | Least Concern |
| Magellanic Penguin | 2,200,000-3,200,000 | Least Concern |
| King Penguin | 3,200,000 | Least Concern |
| Southern Rockhopper Penguin | 2,500,000 | Vulnerable |
| Royal Penguin | 1,700,000 | Near Threatened |
| Gentoo Penguin | 774,000 | Least Concern |
| Emperor Penguin | 476,680 | Endangered |
| Little Penguin | 469,760 | Endangered |
| Northern Rockhopper Penguin | 413,700 | Vulnerable |
| Erect-crested Penguin | 150,000 | Near Threatened |
| Snares Penguin | 63,000 | Endangered |
| Fiordland Penguin | 12,500-50,000 | Vulnerable |
| African Penguin | 41,700 | Vulnerable |
| Macaroni Penguin | 26,498 | Vulnerable |
| Humboldt Penguin | 23,800 | Vulnerable |
| Yellow-eyed Penguin | 2,600-3,000 | Endangered |
| Galapagos Penguin | 1,200 | Endangered |
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