You may have watched a raft or a waddle of penguins on Discovery Channel. These birds cannot fly but swim in the water. There are a few birds out there that look quite similar to penguins. But, they’re not penguins at all.
So, what birds look like penguins? Common murres look almost similar to small Adélie penguins. On the other hand, razorbills may simply be mistaken for Humboldt or African penguins. Although little auks look like penguins, they’re pretty smaller. Besides, you may even confuse blue-footed boobies and Atlantic puffins for penguins.
Would you like to know about these birds? We’re now going to talk about the characteristics of these birds. You’re also going to learn how to identify them based on their differences and similarities with penguins.
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1. Common Murre
Common murres are found in northern ocean waters, the West Coast mainly in winter, south New Jersey, Canada, and Europe. Besides, they also inhabit rocky cliffs and headlands at the edge of the ocean. Basically, these birds forage at sea.
#Characteristics
- Common murres have a slightly long, pointed bill.
- They have an entirely black or dark brown head.
- Their bodies are heavy and relatively large.
- These birds also have slender, pointed wings and short tails.
- Adults have a pale throat and face including a black line behind the eye.
#Similarities
In appearance, common murres and penguins are fairly similar. These are deep-diving seabirds that feed on crustaceans and fish. Both murres and penguins have countershading, as well as dark feathers on their backs and white feathers on their front.
#Differences
Common murres don’t make nests and only lay eggs on the rocks, while penguins’ nesting colonies can be in many forms. Like murres, penguins aren’t found in the Northern Hemisphere. Besides having small yellow spots on the neck, penguins have a much larger body than that of common murres.
2. Blue-Footed Booby
Blue-footed boobies are mainly available in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of California, Peru, and western coasts of Central and South America. All breeding pairs of these birds nest on the Galápagos Islands.
#Characteristics
- Blue-footed boobies feature long, pointed, and brown wings.
- The neck and the head are light-brown with white streaks.
- The belly and underside exhibit pure white plumage.
- Male have much distinctive yellower eyes than females.
- They have large, webbed, bright blue feet.
#Similarities
Blue-footed boobies come with large legs almost the same as penguins’ legs. Similar to most penguin species, blue-footed boobies feature thoroughly white throughout the breast. These birds have black or dark brown back plumage as well.
#Differences
Compared to penguins, blue-footed boobies have more brown back plumage. Besides, these birds feature a solid yellow bill, while penguins come up with a black or orange bill. You can also differentiate boobies from penguins if you look at boobies’ bright blue feet.
3. Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic puffins are readily available in Iceland, Greenland, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, the Faroe Islands, and some parts of Europe. These birds usually inhabit large colonies on rocky cliffs.
#Characteristics
- Atlantic puffins feature black plumage with a white belly, wings, and head.
- They also have thick-set necks, short tails, and wings.
- They have distinctive orange webbed feet.
- Their nape, crown, and forehead are glossy black.
- The eye appears almost triangular.
#Similarities
Similar to penguins, Atlantic puffins feature a white belly and black back. These birds eat small fishes, such as hake, capelin, and herring just like penguins. Not being able to swim as deep as penguins, puffins propel themselves into the water with their wings like penguins.
#Differences
Atlantic puffins come with distinctive beaks. While penguins cannot fly, Atlantic Puffins can easily fly with their short, powerful wings. Besides, puffins frequently build their nests in burrows, but penguins make their nests on the ground.
4. Little Auk
Little auks are most common in the North Atlantic, Alaska, Russia, Norway, and Greenland. These birds inhabit the shore zones of islands in the Arctic Ocean. Like other auks, they search for food by diving underwater and lay eggs on rocky cliff sides.
#Characteristics
- Little auks feature plumage on their belly.
- They have blackish heads, backs, and wings with white edges.
- Their upperparts are black, but the underparts are black.
- Their black stubby bills are relatively smaller.
- Dark underwings are visible while flying.
#Similarities
Color is the only thing similar between little auks and penguins. Like most penguin species, little auks feature white on their bellies but black on their back, head, and wings. Little auks actually look like penguin babies from distance.
#Differences
First of all, little auks are much shorter than even the tiniest penguins. Apart from that, their beaks and wings are also shorter than those of penguins. While penguins have white around their eyes and black inside, the eyes of little auks are thoroughly black.
5. Razorbill
Razorbills are found in the sub-Arctic waters of the North Atlantic, Canada, Western Europe, and Greenland. These birds are called razorbills for their beaks, which have extremely sharp edges. This adaptation helps them to fish and protect themselves from potential predators.
#Characteristics
- Razorbills feature black chins, throats, and heads.
- These birds have a white line from the top of their bill to their eyes.
- Their legs and webbed feet are greyish-black.
- Their cheeks, throats, and ears have white coverts.
- The eyes are reddish-brown.
#Similarities
Razorbills look like penguins when they flutter their wings. Like penguins, the side of their chest is white. When you see them swimming in the water, you may not identify whether it’s a penguin or razorbill. In addition, their legs are quite similar to those of penguins.
#Differences
In appearance, you may easily mistake razorbill for an African or Humboldt penguin. However, razorbills are stronger and more agile flyers than penguins. When it comes to characteristics, razorbills have smaller beaks with a white line.
Final Word
Although these birds look like penguins a bit, you can easily identify each of them if you take a closer look at them. If any of these birds come to your backyard, make sure to offer their favorite treats. Hopefully, they will come to you again.
However, we hope you have learned a lot about the birds that look similar to penguins. If you have ever encountered any of these birds, what was your experience? Comment down below. Here are social media pages: Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.
Image Credit:
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