Characteristics of Penguins

Habitat

• The sea is an important part of a penguin's habitat. Penguins swim in the sea to find their food, which includes fish, krill and squid. The emperor, adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins breed on the Antarctic continent. Other penguin species, such as the king penguin, breed on subantarctic islands around Antarctica, including South Georgia Island. Certain species of penguins are found in tropical or temperate regions. The Galapagos penguin lives on the Galapagos Islands near the equator, while the fairy penguin, also known as the little blue penguin, lives on the coasts of southern Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.

Appearance

• The bodies of penguins are adapted to survive in cold temperatures. Penguins have blubber, or layers of thick fat, that keeps their bodies warm. They also have a dense covering of feathers to provide insulation. A penguin is mainly black on its head, flippers and back and white on its chest and belly. It can have different-colored feathers or markings on its chest and head. Male and female penguins typically are similar in size and appearance.

Traveling

• On land, penguins travel by waddling or hopping. To travel faster, they can flop on their bellies and slide across the ice. The smooth quality of a penguin's paddle-like flippers or "wings" help penguins propel themselves and glide swiftly through water. Penguins have the ability to travel at high speeds and "porpoise," or leap out of the water like porpoises. As skilled divers, the birds can dive deep down into the oceans to hunt for food. The king penguin, for instance, can dive more than 800 feet deep when searching for food.

Breeding and Nesting

• Although penguins spend most of their time at sea, they go on land to build nests and lay eggs. Penguins such as the emperor and adelie have breeding sites or colonies, called rookeries, on land or ice. Most penguins create their nests by building a mound of stones using their beaks. Adult male and female penguins switch off incubating the egg on the nest. Emperor and king penguins are unlike other penguins in that they do not build a nest. Instead, the male, or the male and female together, spend time incubating the egg on top of their feet under a flap of belly skin.