Birds That Look Like Penguins

Penguins are flightless birds that typically have black and white plumage. They are top-notch swimmers that are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. However, there are quite a few other birds that are often confused with them. So here’s a list of birds that look like penguins along with pictures of them, so you can easily tell them apart.

Puffin

Puffins are small and stocky penguin-like birds. They are black and white with a black “cap,” on their heads. They have thick brightly colored beaks and orange-red feet. Unlike penguins, these seabirds can fly. There are three species of puffin: the Atlantic puffin, horned puffin, and tufted puffin. The tufted puffin is the largest of the puffin species and is quite a crazy-looking bird with its tufts of yellow feathers.

Murrelet

Murrelets are small stout seabirds. While normally black and white the plumage of this penguin-looking bird changes to mostly brown during the breeding season. Unlike other seabirds, murrelets usually nest further inland in forests or on mountaintops. Their diet typically consists of small fish and zooplankton. There are three species of murrelet: the long-billed murrelet, the marbled murrelet, and Kittliz’s murrelet.

Guillemot

Guillemots are medium-sized birds with plumage that is mostly black (during the breeding season).  The three species of guillemot are the pigeon guillemot, spectacled guillemot, and black guillemot. These birds dive underwater from the surface, not the air, to catch their food which typically consists of fish, insects, plants, mollusks, and crustaceans.

Auklet

Auklets are small seabirds that nest in crevices and feed on plankton. They have small wings which they flap very quickly when flying. And while they can fly, dive, and swim exceptionally well auklets are known for being quite clumsy when it comes to walking. There are four auklet species: the crested auklet, least auklet, whiskered auklet, and parakeet auklet.

Booby

Boobies are flying birds that look like penguins. They are seabirds that catch fish by diving into the ocean from high up in the air. Because they are quite tame and are unafraid to land on boats, in the past, they often become food themselves for hungry or ship-wrecked sailors. There are ten distinct species of booby several of which have brightly colored feet.

Razorbill

Razorbills are black and white birds that look like penguins. These seabirds can fly and are about the size of a crow. Their heads, necks, backs, and bills are black and they have white bellies. This species has a thin white line that goes from its eyes to the tip of its thick black bill. Razorbills dive deep underwater, where they use their wings to swim after and catch fish. They often catch multiple fish during a single dive.

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