Marwell Zoo welcomes 10 endangered Humboldt penguins

A flock of endangered penguins have moved into their new home at a zoo.

The 10 Humboldt penguins travelled from London to Marwell Zoo in Hampshire to join the colony.

Native to South America, Humboldts are classed as "vulnerable to extinction", with populations declining due to reduced prey availability, climate change and human destruction of nests.

Keepers expect to see the birds exhibiting aggressive behaviour while they get used to each other.

Found in Chile and Peru, the species' diet consists of fish, including anchovy, herring, silverside, hake and pilchard.

Despite their clumsy appearance on land, Humbodlt penguins are graceful swimmers and catch their prey by making a series of short dives - normally within 30m (98ft) of the surface.

The social birds are also typically monogamous, meaning they mate with the same partner for life, according to the zoo.

Dan Garrick, birds team leader, said the penguins had settled in quickly following health checks - and had been seen mixing in the pool.

"The new birds have been actively exploring the enclosure and we expect they will do this for several days until they get familiar with their surroundings," he added.

The flock will remain in quarantine for 30 days.

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