Penguins

Life Cycle

Most penguin species lay two eggs, but Emperor and King Penguins only lay one!

Penguin eggs take between 30–66 days to hatch, depending on the species!

Both penguin parents take turns incubating their eggs and caring for their chicks!

Emperor Penguin fathers hold their egg on their feet and cover it with a flap of skin for two months while mothers go hunting!

Baby penguins have soft, downy feathers that aren’t waterproof until they’re older!

Young penguins go through a process called molting, where they lose their baby feathers and grow adult ones!

Penguin chicks must learn to swim before they can hunt for their own food!

Young penguins usually return to the same colony where they were born when they’re ready to breed!

Most penguin species reach breeding age between 3–8 years old!

Penguin parents feed their chicks by regurgitating partially digested food directly into their mouths!

Baby penguins have special calls that help their parents recognize them in a large group!

Most penguin species breed once a year, but some can breed twice if conditions are good!

Penguin chicks must gain enough weight and grow proper feathers before they can enter the water!

The fastest-growing penguin chicks can reach adult size in just 2–3 months!

Diet & Feeding

Most penguins eat small fish, squid, and krill (tiny shrimp-like creatures)!

An adult penguin can eat up to 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) of food in a single day!

Penguins swallow their food whole because they don’t have teeth to chew with!

Penguins catch their prey by swimming at high speeds and catching it in their beaks!

Small rocks in a penguin’s stomach help grind up their food and provide ballast for diving!

Emperor Penguins can dive for up to 20 minutes looking for food!

Penguins often hunt in groups to help them catch more fish!

Different penguin species hunt at different depths in the ocean to avoid competing for food!

Some penguin species change their hunting times based on when their prey is most active!

Penguins can store food in their stomachs for several days to feed their chicks later!

Conservation & Population

Ten out of the 18 penguin species are currently considered vulnerable or endangered!

The Galapagos Penguin is the rarest penguin species, with only about 1,200 pairs left in the wild!

Oil spills are one of the biggest threats to penguin populations because they damage their waterproof feathers!

Some beaches in South Africa have special penguin crossings to help African Penguins safely cross roads!

Overfishing by humans can make it harder for penguins to find enough food!

Fun and Unique Facts

Penguins have a special layer of air trapped in their feathers that helps keep them warm and buoyant!

A penguin’s body temperature is about 100°F (38°C), helping them stay warm in cold waters!

Penguins can control blood flow to their feet to keep them from freezing on ice!

The word “penguin” might come from the Welsh words “pen” (head) and “gwyn” (white)!

The oldest known penguin fossil is about 62 million years old!

Scientists once found a fossil of an ancient giant penguin that was as tall as a human!

Penguins are found naturally only in the Southern Hemisphere — there are no wild penguins at the North Pole!

The first penguin species was scientifically described in 1781!

Ancient sailors sometimes mistook penguins for strange fish because they spent so much time in the water!

The largest penguin that ever lived was about 6.6 feet (2 meters) tall and lived 37 million years ago!

The first photos of emperor penguins were taken during an expedition to Antarctica in 1911!

Penguins are excellent problem solvers and can remember solutions to challenges for several months!