Pengu

The smallest type of penguin is the Blue Penguin which is only around 10 (25.4 cm) inches tall^

There are 17 Species of Penguin^

The Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) is named after Ferdinand Magellan, who first saw them in 1520^

Penguins swallow pebbles and stones as well as their food. Scientists believe that the stones may help grind up and digest their food. The stones may also add enough extra weight to help penguins dive deeper^

Penguins are one of about 40 species of flightless birds. Other flightless birds include rheas, cassowaries, kiwis, ostriches, and emus. Most flightless birds live in the Southern Hemisphere.^

The Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) has lost over 50% since the 1970s, and their chance of becoming extinct this century is 30%. The most common threats to all penguin survival are pollution, loss of habitat by human encroachment, commercial fishing, oil dumping, algae blooms, and global warming.^

Generally, penguins are not sexually dimorphic, meaning male and female penguins look alike.^

Penguins do not have teeth. Instead they use their beak to grab and hold wiggling prey. They have spines on the roof of their beak to help them get a good grip. Penguins even have spines on their tongues.^

Penguins find all their food in the sea and are carnivores. They eat mostly fish and squid. They also eat crustaceans, such as crabs, shrimp, and krill. A large penguin can collect up to 30 fish in one dive. Penguins (and any animal) that eat only fish are called piscivorous.^

Penguins spend several hours a day preening or caring for their feathers. If penguins don’t keep them well maintained, their feathers would not stay waterproof. For extra protection, penguins spread oil on their feathers. The oil comes from a special gland near their tail feathers.^

Penguins molt, or lose their feathers, once a year. They always molt on land or ice and until they grow new waterproof coats, they are unable to go into the water. Molting may take weeks, and most penguins lose about half their body weight during this time.^

Penguin nesting areas are called “rookeries” and may contain thousands of pairs of birds. Each penguin has a distinct call, which allows individual penguins to find their mates and chicks even in the largest groups.^

Penguins are highly social birds. Even at sea, penguins usually swim and feed in groups. Some penguin colonies on Antarctica are huge and can contain 20 million or more penguins at various times during the year.^

King penguins can form nesting colonies of up to 10,000 penguins. Each penguin keeps its neighbor at an exact but close distance.^

A penguin’s normal body temperature is approximately 100° F (38° C).^

Penguins usually enter and leave the sea in large groups. Scientists believe this is for “safety in numbers.” By blending into a crowd, an individual penguin may avoid catching the attention of a predator.^

While some penguins mate for life or until a partner dies, some penguins often mate with new partners while the old ones are still alive and in the same colony. ^

The fastest underwater swimming bird is the Gentoo Penguin, able to swim up to 22 mph (36 km/h).^

The most rare penguin in the world is the Yellow-eyed Penguin, with only around 5,000 living in the wild. They live along the southeastern coast of New Zealand and nearby islands.^

A wild penguin typically lives between 15-20 years, spending approximately 75% of their lives in the water.^

Penguins typically are not afraid of humans.^

Penguins lost their ability to fly millions of year ago. However, they are the fastest-swimming and deepest-diving species of any bird. Penguins are also the most aquatic of all birds.^

Penguins mate, nest, and raise their chicks in a place called a “rookery.”^

The 2005 children’s book And Tango Makes Three, based on a true story, is about a homosexual Chinstrap Penguin couple in New York’s Central Park Zoo. The book is listed on the 15 Most Controversial Picture Books.^

While Chinstrap Penguins look dignified and gentleman-like, their exceptionally loud cries have earned them the nickname “Stonecracker” penguins.^

Chinstrap Penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) get their name from a thin black line that circles under their chin, like a strap on a helmet. Chinstrap Penguin colonies may reach up to one million penguins. They are among the boldest and most aggressive of all penguins.^

Penguins have more feathers than most other birds, averaging approximately 70 feathers per square inch. The Emperor Penguin has the most of any bird, at around 100 feathers per one square inch.^

Emperor Penguins are the main characters in the 2006 movie Happy Feet. And more than 30 countries have featured Emperor Penguins on their stamps.^

A group of young penguin chicks is called a “crèche.” A group of penguins in the water is called a “raft.” A group of penguins on land is called a “waddle.”^

Penguins often slide on their tummies over ice and snow. This is called tobogganing. Researchers believe they do this for fun and as an efficient way to travel.^

When compared proportionally to the weight of the parent birds, penguin eggs are smaller than any other bird species. Additionally, a penguin eggshell constitutes 10-16% of the weight of a penguin egg, most likely to minimize risk of breakage in rough environments.^

All penguins except the Emperor Penguin share incubation duties with their mate. Still, Emperor Penguins manage to get 75% of their young to self-sufficiency.^

Most penguins are found in South Africa, New Zealand, Chili, Antarctica, Argentina, and Australia.^


Approximately 1 in 50,000 penguins is born with brown plumage rather than black. These are called isabelline penguins. They live shorter lives than other penguins because they are less camouflaged and often do not mate.^

An adult male Emperor Penguin is the longest-fasting bird. It will not eat for approximately 115 days during its chick’s incubation/hatching period.^

Penguins can drink salt water because they have a special gland, the supraorbital gland, that filters salt from the bloodstream.^

Penguins can control the blood flow to their extremities in order to reduce the amount of blood that gets cold, but not enough so that their extremities freeze.^

Penguins swim so fast that they can propel themselves over 7 feet (2 meters) above water. The technique they use to cut through waves like dolphins or porpoises is called “porpoising.”^

Penguin etymology is debated. Several scholars claim the word is derived from the Welsh pen gwyn, or “white head.” It originally appeared in the 16th century as a synonym for Great Auk. Other researches believe it is related to the Latin pinguis, or “fat.”^

The earliest known penguin fossil is the Waimanu manneringi, which dates from about 60 million years ago. The fossil was discovered in Antarctica in 1980. Its name comes from Maori term for “water bird.” They were also flightless birds^

Some prehistoric penguins were very large, growing nearly as tall and heavy as a human.^

Larger penguins usually live in cooler regions. Smaller penguins are typically found in more temperate and tropical climates.^

In the past, people ate penguin eggs. They also killed adult penguins for their feathers, skin, and oil. People also used penguin droppings (guano) to fertilize the soil and help grow crops. ^

Most penguin species lay two eggs. However, Emperor and King Penguins, the two largest species, build no nest at all and lay just a single egg. They warm their eggs on their feet and cover it with a flap of skin called a “brood pouch.”^

Different penguins species have different ways of attracting a mate. King Penguins, for example, sing long songs with their partners. Gentoo Penguin males give their mates gifts of small pebbles or stones. For penguins, bonding is an important part of raising a chick.^

Penguins’ unique coloring is called countershading. To predators looking down from above, the penguins’ black backs help them blend into the dark ocean. To predators looking up from underwater, the penguin’s white belly blends in against the light sky and snow.^

To keep from overheating, penguins pant like dogs to cool off. They also ruffle their feathers and hold their wings away from their bodies.^

Only two species, the Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and the Emperor Penguins, live on the frozen land of Antarctica. Most penguins live farther north, in New Zealand or along the coast of South America.^