Best city for penguins?

[CMP]

I was thinking about it, and of the 17 or so species of penguin, seaworld San Diego has 6 and San Diego zoo also has one more. Is San Diego the best city in the world for seeing penguins?
(To clarify: Best city in this instance would mean the city that has the most species of penguins, but feel free to also mention cities with exceptional penguin exhibits that may not have the most species)

 

[jwer]

I just counted 8 for Madrid.

But I would’t be surprised if you could squize one or two more out of Tokio if your not too picky what still counts as Tokio City...

 

[nczoofan]

New York has 7 at the WCS zoo's. Magellanic and blue penguins at the Bronx Zoo. African Penguins at the New York Aquarium. King, Gentoo, chinstrap, and macaroni penguin at the Central Park Zoo.

 

[Fallax]

Whatever city it ends up being, I need to be there ASAP

 

[TinoPup]

My list has 8 at San Diego - Emperor (only holder), Adelie (1 of 2 holders), Chinstrap, Macaroni, Magellanic, King, Humboldt, and Gentoo. Then African at SDZ.

Moody Gardens has 6, and they're the only holder of northern rockhopper in the USA.

Newport Aquarium has 6.

Cincinnati and SeaWorld Orlando have 5.

Detroit, Omaha, SeaWorld San Antonio and Saint Louis has 4.

New York has 7 at the WCS zoo's. Magellanic and blue penguins at the Bronx Zoo. African Penguins at the New York Aquarium. King, Gentoo, chinstrap, and macaroni penguin at the Central Park Zoo.

Do they no longer have rockhopper?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Yeah, Madrid has a total of eight penguin species across two collections:

Faunia

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
Western Rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome)
Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus)
Subantarctic Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua papua)
Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)

Zoo Madrid

African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

 

[nczoofan]

My list has 8 at San Diego - Emperor (only holder), Adelie (1 of 2 holders), Chinstrap, Macaroni, Magellanic, King, Humboldt, and Gentoo. Then African at SDZ.

Moody Gardens has 6, and they're the only holder of northern rockhopper in the USA.

Newport Aquarium has 6.

Cincinnati and SeaWorld Orlando have 5.

Detroit, Omaha, SeaWorld San Antonio and Saint Louis has 4.



Do they no longer have rockhopper?

Not as of the last 2 years I believe. The zoo put out a press release earlier this year about its conservation work with penguins and they only listed 7 species.

 

[CMP]

I just counted 8 for Madrid.

But I would’t be surprised if you could squize one or two more out of Tokio if your not too picky what still counts as Tokio City...

Yeah, Madrid has a total of eight penguin species across two collections:

Faunia

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
Western Rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome)
Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus)
Subantarctic Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua papua)
Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)

Zoo Madrid

African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

I did not realize Madrid had so many species of penguin, but it doesn't surprise me.

New York has 7 at the WCS zoo's. Magellanic and blue penguins at the Bronx Zoo. African Penguins at the New York Aquarium. King, Gentoo, chinstrap, and macaroni penguin at the Central Park Zoo.

It seems San Diego and NYC are tied, then? I would say San Diego has the edge with Emperors, but little blues are also nice.

Whatever city it ends up being, I need to be there ASAP

That's the idea of this form, me too

My list has 8 at San Diego - Emperor (only holder), Adelie (1 of 2 holders), Chinstrap, Macaroni, Magellanic, King, Humboldt, and Gentoo. Then African at SDZ.

Moody Gardens has 6, and they're the only holder of northern rockhopper in the USA.

Newport Aquarium has 6.

Cincinnati and SeaWorld Orlando have 5.

Detroit, Omaha, SeaWorld San Antonio and Saint Louis has 4.



Do they no longer have rockhopper?

San Diego only has 7, Sea World does not have magellanic
"Watch the playful antics of penguins tall and small—nearly 400 in all. Our penguin population includes Emperor and King penguins, and smaller Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Macaroni penguins."- Penguin Encounter | SeaWorld San Diego

Unless someone else or I count the Tokyo (include metro area with Yokahama) penguin species, I think San Diego has the edge over NYC with having emperors, but they are tied number wise. It would not surprise me if Tokyo is actually the winner, though.

 

[African Grey]

I went to SeaWorld San Diego in January and they did have Magellanic Penguins on exhibit. They also have Humboldt Penguins which are kept behind the scenes

 

[PossumRoach]

Nagasaki penguin aquarium has 9 species of penguin. (fairy, all three spheniscus, macaroni, unknown/hybridized rockhopper, chinstrap, gentoo, king)

adventure world also has 8 species (cape, emperor, king, fairy, unknown/hybridized rockhopper, all three pygoscelis). Wakayama city also has humboldt penguins.

 

[Westcoastperson]

Emperor and King penguins, and smaller Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Macaroni penguins."- Penguin Encounter | SeaWorld San Diego

This has already been stated but that is incorrect. Those are the cold water penguins that are located indoors. The Magellanic penguins are in an outdoor exhibit with a few unlisted cormorants (Recues), the exhibit can be found right outside of the penguin encounter building and can be seen on google maps street view. The Humboldts live in an old sea otter exhibits with more unlisted cormorants (also rescued). The exhibit can be seen on google maps to the left of the Shipwreck Rapids Ride (The exhibit is circular with a white triangular tarp over it. There is also a dirt patch on the right outside of the circle where the birds rest). They used to be kept in a sea pen enclosure in the bay right next to the park.

 

[CMP]

I went to SeaWorld San Diego in January and they did have Magellanic Penguins on exhibit. They also have Humboldt Penguins which are kept behind the scenes

This has already been stated but that is incorrect. Those are the cold water penguins that are located indoors. The Magellanic penguins are in an outdoor exhibit with a few unlisted cormorants (Recues), the exhibit can be found right outside of the penguin encounter building and can be seen on google maps street view. The Humboldts live in an old sea otter exhibits with more unlisted cormorants (also rescued). The exhibit can be seen on google maps to the left of the Shipwreck Rapids Ride (The exhibit is circular with a white triangular tarp over it. There is also a dirt patch on the right outside of the circle where the birds rest). They used to be kept in a sea pen enclosure in the bay right next to the park.

I did not know about the Humboldt's, but now there is a whole new question about off display :0
Also, sorry about the magellanics, its been some time since I went to seaworld. That means that San Diego has 8/9 penguin species

Nagasaki penguin aquarium has 9 species of penguin. (fairy, all three spheniscus, macaroni, unknown/hybridized rockhopper, chinstrap, gentoo, king)

adventure world also has 8 species (cape, emperor, king, fairy, unknown/hybridized rockhopper, all three pygoscelis). Wakayama city also has humboldt penguins.

Typical Japan Of course one aquarium has 9, while another has 8. Nagasaki Japan has the most species on display then, with 9, and as far as I can tell no other facilities in Nagasaki hold other species of penguin. I am looking into Tokyo though, with 11+ collections, it is possible Tokyo has more.

 

[Westcoastperson]

Here are some of the photos I have of the exhibit

The building on the right is the Animal Care hospital/SeaWorld rescue center/food prep area. The large warehouse is the entertainment department.

 

[imaginarius]

What’s the deal with SeaWorld San Diego’s Emperor Penguins? More specifically, how did they get them? I thought exporting indigenous Antarctic fauna was prohibited by international treaty. And why haven’t they tried to establish other ex-situ breeding populations at other zoos? Their colony is quite large, and emperors are in trouble because of climate change.

 

[aardvark250]

Catalogue of Penguins in Captivity Worldwide
This thread may be worth watching.

 

[aardvark250]

I am looking into Tokyo though, with 11+ collections, it is possible Tokyo has more.

African penguin,
Southern rockhopper penguin,
Little blue penguin,
Humbolt penguin,
Gentoo penguin,
Magellanic penguin,
Northern rockhopper penguin

So only 7 species in Tokyo.