Penguins

Basic Information

There are 18 different species of penguins alive today, and they all live in the Southern Hemisphere!

A group of penguins on land is called a waddle or colony, but in the water, they’re called a raft!

Emperor Penguins are the tallest of all penguins, standing as tall as a first-grader at about 4 feet (1.2 meters) high!

The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Fairy Penguin), which is only as tall as a ruler — about 12 inches (30 centimeters)!

Penguins belong to a special bird family called Spheniscidae. They are amazing swimmers but can’t fly — just like a few other birds, such as steamer ducks!

Wild penguins typically live between 15–20 years, but in zoos, they can live up to 30 years with good care!

A baby penguin is called a chick, and a group of chicks together is called a crèche!

Male penguins are called cocks, and female penguins are called hens, just like chickens!

The heaviest penguin ever recorded was an Emperor Penguin, weighing 101 pounds (46 kilograms) — that’s about as heavy as a seven-year-old child!

Some penguin species can swim at speeds up to 22 miles per hour (35 kilometers per hour) — that’s faster than you can ride your bike!

Physical Characteristics

Penguins have special glands above their eyes that filter salt out of seawater, allowing them to drink ocean water!

A penguin’s black and white coloring is called countershading, and it helps camouflage them from predators while swimming!

Penguins have lots of feathers — about 58 per square inch! That’s more than many other birds, and it helps keep them warm in the cold ocean.

A penguin’s wings are actually flippers that help them “fly” through the water instead of the air!

Penguins have special scales on their feet and specialized bones that make their legs better for walking on ice!

A penguin’s eye works just as well underwater as it does in the air, helping them spot prey while swimming!

Penguins have a special layer of fat called blubber that keeps them warm in freezing waters!

A penguin’s bones are solid and heavy, unlike other birds who have hollow bones for flying!

Penguins can’t taste sweet, bitter, or umami flavors – they can only taste sour and salty things!

A penguin’s feathers are actually tiny and scale-like, overlapping to form a waterproof coat!

The Emperor Penguin can dive up to 1,800 feet deep — that’s as deep as 30 school buses stacked on top of each other!

Penguins’ ears are just small holes covered by feathers, but they can hear very well both in and out of water!

A penguin’s tongue is covered in spiny bristles that help them grip slippery fish!

Penguins have a special black stripe on their chin that helps them recognize different members of their species!

Behavior & Intelligence

Many penguin species mate for life and return to the same nesting spot year after year!

Penguins communicate using different types of calls that sound like honking, braying, and even trumpeting!

Emperor Penguins can recognize their mate’s call among thousands of other penguins!

Penguins spend about 75% of their lives in the water, coming onto land mainly to rest and breed!

Some penguins build nests out of pebbles, and males often gift special pebbles to females during courtship!

Penguins take turns sleeping for a few minutes at a time while standing up in their group!

Gentoo Penguins can make up to 450 dives per day when hunting for food!

Penguins often toboggan (slide on their bellies) to move faster and save energy when traveling on ice!

Adult penguins spend several hours each day preening and cleaning their feathers to keep them waterproof!

Penguins huddle together in large groups to stay warm, taking turns being on the outside of the group!

Some penguin species can leap up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) out of water — that’s taller than most adults!

Penguins shake their heads and flap their flippers to get water off after swimming!

Young penguins learn to swim by watching and copying their parents!

Habitat & Survival

Not all penguins live in cold places — some species live on warm beaches and in forests!

The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin species that sometimes ventures into the Northern Hemisphere!

Emperor Penguins can survive in temperatures as cold as -76°F (-60°C)!

Some penguin species build their nests in burrows or caves to protect their eggs from the sun!

African Penguins dig burrows in guano (bird poop) or sand to nest and escape the hot sun!

Little Blue Penguins often make their homes under people’s houses and beach houses in Australia and New Zealand!

Some penguin species can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes while diving for food!

Penguins’ main predators in the water are leopard seals, killer whales, and sharks!

Some penguins nest on rocky cliffs to protect their eggs from flooding and predators!

Emperor Penguins walk up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) to reach their breeding grounds!

Penguins can drink snow to get fresh water when they’re not near the ocean!

Different penguin species live at different latitudes, from the equator to Antarctica!

Penguins can sleep while floating in the water!