Rarest species of penguin

Listed as Endangered by the IUCN since 2000, the Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is considered to be the rarest penguin with an estimated population of between 1,800–4,700 as per the last census, carried out in 2009.

The Galápagos penguin is also the most northerly species of penguin, being the only species with a range that extends beyond the Equator into the northern hemisphere.

The next rarest penguin species is the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) of New Zealand; with an estimated population of 6,000–7,000 as of 2016, it too is classified as Endangered by the IUCN.