Interesting facts about penguins. Where do they live, what do they eat and how do penguins sleep? ​50 interesting penguin facts for the curious Interesting facts about king penguins

Many of us love looking at penguins. In their seemingly clumsy gait, waddling from foot to foot, there is something that attracts human attention. Plus, penguins are one of the 40 known species flightless birds.

Initially, people called penguins wingless auks (Pinguinus impennis), which were once found in huge numbers on the northern shores of the Atlantic Ocean. This one had nothing to do with penguins living in the Southern Hemisphere, but outwardly they looked very much like them and occupied the same ecological niche like the penguins.

So masculine evening dress, like a tuxedo, it was quite likely that fashion designers came up with, peeping at the "outfit" of a penguin, during the time of the Universal Discoveries. Such coloring, according to biologists, helps birds hide from the enemy in the sea. The penguin's body is ideal for swimming, and its small fin-like wings and paws are great for quick maneuvers underwater.

After the end of the military conflict that took place in 1982 between England and Argentina, a mythical story arose about penguins living in the Falkland Islands, who fall on their backs due to the fact that they lift their heads high, looking at low-flying aircraft and are no longer able to climb back on their own. on your feet. Gradually, the rumor acquired "details", for example, that "penguin flippers" appeared - special unit military personnel who save capsized birds from dying. The most interesting thing is that because of the inflated fears of the compassionate public, a group of British scientists in 2001 conducted a long-term study in Antarctica. However, throughout the entire period, she did not record a single case of capsizing penguins when aircraft approached.

Many people think that penguins are only found in Antarctica or the cold climates adjacent to the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere. But contrary to popular belief, on the Galapagos Islands, located almost on the equator, there is a special kind of penguin called the Galapagos penguin. The water temperature here all year round is +22...+24 °C, and the air temperature is +18...+28 °C. In addition, penguins can be easily spotted in Australian Sydney and North Harbor. It turns out that there are also heat-loving penguins!

Subantarctic penguins are the fastest waterfowl, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. Emperor penguins can stay underwater for up to 18 minutes.

The emperor penguin is the only bird that lays its eggs in the middle of winter. She does it so early so that the babies hatch faster. After all, they need spring, summer and autumn to grow strong and become large enough to survive the next winter.

Emperor penguins have a collective behavior. In order to keep warm in cold weather, they gather in a large dense group, the temperature inside which sometimes reaches +35 ° C at an ambient temperature of -20 ° C. For "even heating", the birds constantly move from the center to the edge and vice versa.

King penguin chicks (lat. Aptenodytes patagonicus) hatch from eggs naked and grow feathers in just a few weeks. The chick is not able to survive without parents until it grows waterproof feathers, and this happens only 12-13 months after its birth.

Natural materials are scarce in cold climes and therefore Adélie penguins create their nests for laying and incubating eggs from pebbles. Neighboring pairs, when other penguins are distracted, do not hesitate to steal their stones. Some of the female penguins are engaged in "prostitution" for the sake of stones, although they have a permanent partner. They seek out solitary males who make their nests out of pebbles in the hope of starting a family, allow them to mate with them, and then take a few stones with them to their nest.

As a child, Linus Torvalds was bitten by a penguin during his trip to the zoo. Therefore, the penguin Tux (correct Russian pronunciation- Tax) became the talisman of the operating system linux.

For a long time, scientists could not understand the reason for the origin of an unusual piece of grass in the form of a two-meter letter M on one of the islands of harsh Antarctica. One Chilean researcher claims that this “letter” was laid out several years ago by a Polish scientist from penguin excrement, in honor of his beloved Magda.

The penguin is the only bird in our world that can swim but cannot fly. In addition, it is the only bird that moves on land while standing.

It turns out that penguins are not the most frost-resistant birds. Ducks and geese are the least afraid of the cold. They are able to withstand temperatures down to -110 ° C, but for a short time. The emperor penguin is able to withstand frost down to -60 ° C.

A separate species of penguin with long yellow feathers near the eyes and a lively temperament is called rocky, because these birds quite often jump on rocks.

The fastest swimmers of all penguin species are gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua). They are capable of speeds up to 36 km/h underwater. It is one of the Antarctic penguin species first described by Johann Reinhold Forster, an explorer and naturalist who accompanied Captain Cook on one of his last 18th century voyages. In honor of these "fast walkers" one of the varieties of the Linux operating system, Gentoo, was named.

The Patagonian penguin is able to swim for 2-3 weeks. At the same time, it covers a distance of almost 1500 kilometers.

by the most major representatives Of all the penguin species are the king penguins. The weight of an adult bird is in the range of 27-41 kg, and the height reaches 1.2 meters.

Parental responsibilities for emperor penguins are distributed as follows. The male incubates the eggs, while the female provides food. After the chick hatches from the egg, the father feeds him with a peculiar liquid that is produced in the section of his esophagus.

Every year, during the molting period, which takes 2-3 weeks, penguins shed feathers, in place of which new ones grow. Penguins spend a lot of time grooming their feathers to stay cool and attractive.

There is a species of Magellanic penguin, which was named after Fernand Magellan, who was the first European to discover it in 1520. Magellanic penguins live in the strait that separates the island of Tierra del Fuego from the mainland. South America. This strait is also named after the discoverer.

Penguins can dive very deep. But what are they looking for at a depth of one and a half kilometers? Japanese biologists have installed cameras on the backs of these animals. It is known that the sun's rays are able to penetrate to a depth of only 150 meters, so it is not yet known what these birds are doing at a depth of one and a half kilometers.

Most male and female penguins practically do not differ in appearance from each other. But, during the mating season, the females have dirty spots on their backs, which the male leaves during the mating process.

The stone penguin has the most evil character. Birds of this species are very noisy and aggressive.

Who doesn't love plump, tuxedo-clad penguins wading through rocks and ice, and tumbling their bellies into the sea? Almost anyone can recognize a penguin, but how much do you really know about these seabirds? Get started with these 7 fascinating and interesting penguin facts.

1. Penguins, like other birds, have feathers.

Penguins may be very different from other feathered relatives, but they are, indeed, birds. Since they spend most of their lives in the water, their feathers are downward-pointing and waterproof. Penguins have a specialized oil gland that ensures the sustainable production of waterproofing oil. The penguin uses its beak to regularly deliver lubricant to its feathers. Lubricated feathers help keep their bodies warm in cold waters and also reduce water resistance while swimming.

Like other birds, penguins molt by shedding old feathers. But instead of shedding their feathers gradually over the course of the year, penguins carry out their molt all at once. This is known as a catastrophic molt. Once a year, penguins actively feed on seafood to accumulate fat and prepare for the annual change of feathers. Then, within a few weeks, they shed all their plumage and grow a new one. Because feathers are so important to surviving in icy water, penguins stay on land during this time.

2. Also, penguins, like other birds, have wings.

Although penguins technically have wings, like other birds, they are not like the wings of other birds. Penguin wings are not meant to fly. In fact, they cannot fly at all. Penguin wings are flattened and tapered, and look and function more like dolphin fins than bird wings.

Evolutionary biologists believe that penguins could fly in the past, but over the course of millions of years, their flying skills faded. Penguins became efficient divers and torpedo-like swimmers, with wings designed to propel bodies through the water column instead of air. A study published in 2013 determined that this evolution is based on energy efficiency. Birds that swim and fly, like the thick-billed murre, expend an enormous amount of energy in the air. Because their wings are modified for swimming, they are less aerodynamic and require more power to fly. Penguins have made an evolutionary bet that it is better to be good swimmers than to try to fly and swim. Thus, their wings became more like fins over time.

3. Penguins are skilled and fast swimmers

After making a commitment to living in water instead of air, prehistoric penguins have proven themselves to be world champion swimmers. Most penguin species swim at a speed of 7-11 km per hour, but the gentoo penguin ( Pygoscelis papua) can reach an incredible 36 km per hour. Penguins are able to dive tens of meters deep and stay underwater for 20 minutes.

Birds have hollow bones so they are lighter in the air, but penguin bones are thicker and heavier. Just as divers use ballast to control their buoyancy, the penguin relies on stronger bones to resist buoyancy. When they need to get out of the water quickly, penguins release air bubbles in their feathers, thereby reducing drag and increasing speed. Their bodies are streamlined and are great for high-speed movement in the water.

4 Penguins Eat Various Types Of Seafood But Can't Chew It

Most penguins feed on what they can catch while swimming and diving. They will eat anything sea ​​creature that can be caught and swallowed: fish, crabs, shrimp, squid, octopus or krill. Like other birds, penguins do not have teeth and do not chew their food. Instead, they have fleshy, backward-pointing spines in their mouths that help them push their prey down their throats. A medium-sized penguin eats about 1 kg of seafood per day during the summer months.

Krill, small marine, is an especially important part of the diet for young penguin chicks. One long-term study of penguin diets found that breeding success was directly related to how much krill they ate. Penguins feed on krill in the sea and then return to their chicks on land to regurgitate food into their beaks.

5. Penguins are monogamous

Almost all penguin species practice monogamy, meaning the male and female are faithful to each other during the breeding season. Some even remain partners for life. Penguins reach sexual maturity between three and eight years of age. Males usually find good places for nesting before looking for a female.

Both penguin parents care for and feed their chicks. Most species produce two eggs at a time, but emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri) is the largest of all penguins, raising only one bird per breeding season. The male emperor penguin takes sole responsibility for the preservation of the egg, holding it between the legs and under the folds of fat, while the female goes to the sea for food.

6 Penguins Only Live In The Southern Hemisphere

Habitat of penguins on the world map

Don't go to Alaska if you're looking for penguins. There are 19 described penguin species on the planet, and all but one live below the equator. Despite the common misconception that all penguins live among Antarctic icebergs, this is also not true. Penguins live on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere, including Africa, South America, and Australia. Most inhabit islands where they are not threatened by large predators. The only species that lives north of the equator is the Galapagos penguin ( spheniscus mendiculus), which, as you might guess from the name, lives in the Galapagos Islands.

7. Climate change poses a direct threat to the survival of penguins

Scientists warn that penguins around the world are under threat due to climate change, and some species may soon become extinct. Penguins rely on food sources that are sensitive to changes in ocean temperature and depend on polar ice. As the planet heats up, melt season sea ​​ice lasts longer, impacting krill populations and penguin habitat.

Five species of penguins are already classified as endangered, and most of the remaining species are vulnerable or endangered, according to the red list. International Union nature conservation. African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus) is the most endangered species on this list.

The penguin is a flightless bird that belongs to the penguin-like order, the penguin family (Spheniscidae).

The origin of the word "penguin" has 3 versions. The first suggests a combination of the Welsh words pen (head) and gwyn (white), which originally referred to the now-extinct great auk. Due to the similarity of the penguin with this bird, the definition was transferred to him. According to the second version, the name of the penguin gave English word pinwing, in translation meaning "hairpin wing". The third version is the Latin adjective pinguis, meaning "thick".

Penguin - description, characteristics, structure

All penguins can swim and dive excellently, but they cannot fly at all. On land, the bird looks rather awkward due to the structural features of the body and limbs. The penguin has a streamlined body shape with highly developed musculature of the pectoral keel, which often makes up a quarter of the total mass. The body of the penguin is quite well-fed, slightly compressed from the sides and covered with feathers. Not too large head is on a mobile, flexible and rather short neck. The penguin's beak is strong and very sharp.

As a result of evolution and lifestyle, penguin wings have changed into elastic flippers: when swimming under water, they rotate in the shoulder joint according to the screw principle. The legs are short and thick, have 4 fingers connected by swimming membranes.

Unlike other birds, the penguin's legs are significantly extended back, which forces the bird to keep its body strictly upright while on land.

To maintain balance, the penguin is helped by a short tail, consisting of 16-20 hard feathers: if necessary, the bird simply leans on it, as if on a stand.

The penguin's skeleton is not made of hollow tubular bones, which is familiar to other birds: the bones of a penguin are more reminiscent of the bones of marine mammals in structure. For optimal thermal insulation, the penguin has an impressive supply of fat with a layer of 2-3 centimeters.

The plumage of penguins is dense and dense: individual small and short feathers cover the body of a bird like a tile, protecting it from getting wet in cold water. The color of feathers in all species is almost identical - a dark (usually black) back and a white belly.

Once a year, the penguin molts: new feathers grow at different rates, pushing out the old feather, so the bird often has an untidy, ragged appearance during the molting period.

During molting, penguins are only on land, trying to hide from gusts of wind and eat absolutely nothing.

The sizes of penguins differ depending on the species: for example, the emperor penguin reaches 117-130 cm in length and weighs from 35 to 40 kg, and the small penguin has a body length of only 30-40 cm, while the weight of the penguin is 1 kg.

In search of food, penguins are able to spend a lot of time under water, plunging into its thickness by 3 meters and covering distances of 25-27 km. The speed of a penguin in the water can reach 7-10 km per hour. Some species dive to a depth of 120-130 meters.

In a period when the penguins are not concerned mating games and caring for offspring, they are quite far away from the coast, sailing into the sea at a distance of up to 1000 km.

On land, if it is necessary to move quickly, the penguin lies on its belly and, pushing off with its limbs, quickly slides over ice or snow.

With this method of movement, penguins develop a speed of 3 to 6 km / h.

The life expectancy of a penguin in nature is 15-25 years or more. In captivity, with ideal bird keeping, this figure sometimes increases to 30 years.

Enemies of penguins in nature

Unfortunately, the penguin has enemies in its natural habitat. Seagulls are happy to peck at penguin eggs, and helpless chicks are tasty prey for skua. Fur seals, killer whales, leopard seals and sea lions hunt penguins in the sea. They will not refuse to diversify their menu with a well-fed penguin and sharks.

What do penguins eat?

Penguins eat fish, crustaceans, plankton and small cephalopods. The bird enjoys eating krill, anchovies, sardines, Antarctic silverfish, small octopuses and squid. For one hunt, a penguin can make from 190 to 800-900 dives: it depends on the type of penguin, climatic conditions and feed requirements. The oral apparatus of the bird works on the principle of a pump: through its beak, it sucks in medium-sized prey along with water. On average, while feeding, birds swim about 27 kilometers and spend about 80 minutes a day at a depth of more than 3 meters.

Geographic distribution these birds are quite extensive, but they prefer coolness. Penguins live in the cold zones of the Southern Hemisphere, mainly their concentrations are observed in the Antarctic and in the Subantarctic region. They also live in southern Australia and in South Africa, are found almost along the entire coastline of South America - from the Falkland Islands to the territory of Peru, near the equator they live on the Galapagos Islands.

Classification of the Penguin family (Spheniscidae)

The order Penguin-like (Sphenisciformes) includes the only modern family - Penguins, or Penguins (Spheniscidae), in which 6 genera and 18 species are distinguished (according to the datazone.birdlife.org database dated November 2018).

Genus Aptenodytes J. F. Miller, 1778 - Emperor penguins

• Aptenodytes forsteri R. Gray, 1844 – Emperor penguin
• Aptenodytes patagonicus F. Miller, 1778 - King penguin

Genus Eudyptes Vieillot, 1816 - Crested penguins

• Eudyptes chrysocome(J. R. Forster, 1781) - Crested penguin, rocky golden-haired penguin
• Eudyptes chrysolophus(J. F. von Brandt, 1837) - Golden-haired penguin
• Eudyptes moseleyi Mathews & Iredale, 1921 – Northern crested penguin
• Eudyptes pachyrhynchus R. Gray, 1845 - Thick-billed or Victoria penguin
• Eudyptes robustus Oliver, 1953 - Snare crested penguin
• Eudyptes schlegeli Finsch, 1876 – Schlegel's penguin
• Eudyptes sclateri Buller, 1888 - Great crested penguin

Genus Eudyptula Bonaparte, 1856 - Little penguins

• Eudyptula minor(J. R. Forster, 1781) - Little penguin

Genus Megadyptes Milne-Edwards, 1880 - Magnificent penguins

• Megadyptes antipodes(Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841) - Yellow-eyed penguin, or magnificent penguin

Genus Pygoscelis Wagler, 1832 - Antarctic penguins

• Pygoscelis adeliae(Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841) - Adélie penguin
• Pygoscelis antarcticus(J. R. Forster, 1781) - Antarctic penguin
• Pygoscelis papua(J. R. Forster 1781) - gentoo penguin

Genus Spheniscus Brisson, 1760 - Spectacled penguins

• Spheniscus demersus(Linnaeus, 1758) - Spectacled penguin
• Spheniscus humboldti Meyen, 1834 - Humboldt penguin
• Spheniscus magellanicus(J. R. Forster, 1781) - Magellanic penguin
• spheniscus mendiculus Sundevall, 1871 - Galapagos penguin

Types of penguins, photos and names

The modern classification of penguins includes 6 genera and 19 species. Below are descriptions of several varieties:

• emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri)

this is the largest and heaviest penguin: the weight of the male reaches 40 kg with a body length of 117-130 cm, the females are somewhat smaller - with a height of 113-115 cm, they weigh an average of 32 kg. The plumage on the back of the birds is black, the belly is white, in the neck area there are characteristic spots of orange or bright yellow. Emperor penguins live on the coast of Antarctica.

• king penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus)

very similar to the emperor penguin, but differs from it in a more modest size and feather color. The size of the king penguin varies from 90 to 100 cm. The weight of the penguin is 9.3-18 kg. In adults, the back is dark gray, sometimes almost black, the abdomen is white, there are bright orange spots on the sides of the dark head and in the chest area. The habitats of this bird are the South Sandwich Islands, the islands of Tierra del Fuego, Crozet, Kerguelen, South Georgia, Macquarie, Heard, Prince Edward, the coastal waters of the Lusitania Bay.

• Adelie Penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae)

medium sized bird. The length of the penguin is 65-75 cm, weight - about 6 kg. The back is black, the belly is white, distinguishing feature- ring white color around eyes. Adélie penguins live in Antarctica and on the island territories adjacent to it: the Orkney and South Shetland Islands.

• Northern crested penguin ( Eudyptes moseleyi)

endangered species. The length of the bird is approximately 55 cm, average weight about 3 kg. The eyes are red, the abdomen is white, the wings and back are gray-black. Yellow eyebrows smoothly merge into tufts of yellow feathers located on the side of the eyes. Black feathers stick out on the penguin's head. This species differs from the southern crested penguin (lat. Eudyptes chrysocome) in shorter feathers and narrower eyebrows. The main part of the population lives on the islands of Gough, Inaccessible and Tristan da Cunha, located in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

• Golden-haired penguin (golden-haired penguin) ( Eudyptes chrysolophus)

has a color typical of all penguins, but differs in one feature during appearance: This penguin has a spectacular tuft of golden feathers above the eyes. Body length varies between 64-76 cm, Weight Limit- a little over 5 kg. Golden-haired penguins live along the southern coasts indian ocean and the Atlantic, are slightly less common in the northern part of the Antarctic and on Tierra del Fuego, and nest on other islands of the Subantarctic.

• gentoo penguin ( Pygoscelis papua)

the largest penguin in size after the emperor and king. The length of the bird reaches 70-90 cm, the weight of the penguin is from 7.5 to 9 kg. The black back and white belly are a typical color of birds of this species, the beak and paws are painted in orange-red tint. The habitat of penguins is limited to Antarctica and the islands of the Subantarctic zone (Prince Edward Island, South Sandwich and Falkland Islands, Heard Island, Kerguelen, South Georgia, South Orkney Islands).

• Magellanic Penguin ( Spheniscus magellanicus)

has a body length of 70-80 cm and a weight of about 5-6 kg. The plumage color is typical for all penguin species, a feature is 1 or 2 black stripes in the neck. Magellanic penguins nest on the Patagonian coast, on the islands of Juan Fernandez and the Falklands, small groups live in southern Peru and in Rio de Janeiro.

• Pygoscelis antarctica)

reaches a height of 60-70 cm and weighs no more than 4.5 kg. The back and head are painted dark gray, the belly of the penguin is white. A black stripe runs across the head. Antarctic penguins live on the coast of Antarctica and the islands adjacent to the continent. They are also found on icebergs in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.

• spectacled penguin, he is donkey penguin, black-footed penguin or African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus)

reaches a length of 65-70 centimeters and weighs from 3 to 5 kg. Distinctive feature birds is a narrow strip of black, curving in the shape of a horseshoe and passing along the belly - from the chest to the paws. Spectacled penguin lives on the coast of Namibia and South Africa, nests along the coastline of islands with a cold Bengal current.

• little penguin ( Eudyptula minor)

the smallest penguin in the world: the bird has a height of 30-40 cm and a weight of about 1 kg. The back of the little penguin is colored blue-black or dark gray, the chest area and the upper part of the legs are white or light gray. Penguins live on the coast of South Australia, in Tasmania, New Zealand and on the adjacent islands - Stewart and Chatham.

penguin breeding

Penguins are collective birds. In the water element, they keep in flocks, on land they form colonies, the number of individuals in which reaches several tens and even hundreds of thousands. All representatives of the penguin family are monogamous and create permanent pairs.

The readiness for mating and incubation of offspring in penguins depends on the species and gender. Usually, males mature later than females, some species are ready for the appearance of penguins at the age of 2 years, other varieties of penguins begin to think about offspring a year later, others become parents only at the age of five (for example, golden-haired penguins).

During mating season males make rather loud sounds, reminiscent of the sound of a pipe, trying to attract the attention of females.

Penguins nest most often on low rocky shores, while some species make primitive nests from pebbles and sparse vegetation, while others choose depressions in the rocks.

Usually 2 eggs appear in the clutch, sometimes one, very rarely three. The penguin egg is white or slightly greenish in color. Both parents incubate the eggs, replacing each other during absences for food. Incubation period lasts from 30 to 100 days depending on the type of bird.

Penguin chicks hatch blind, with thick fluff on their bodies, and begin to see clearly after a couple of weeks. The weight of a newborn penguin varies depending on the species and can reach 300 grams. Despite parental care, more than 60% of chicks die from starvation, low temperatures and skuas attacks.

For about 20 days, the penguin chicks are under constant care, but after three weeks of care, the parents leave their babies, only occasionally bringing them food. This factor leads to the fact that slightly grown up penguins begin to unite in groups called by scientists “kindergartens” or “nurseries”.

Often the period of formation of such "nursery" falls on the time when the colony from sea ​​voyages immature penguins or birds that for some reason have lost their clutches are returning. These individuals are actively involved in caring for the young, participate in their feeding and protect from predatory skuas, thereby increasing the survival rate of the still defenseless chicks.

Before the first molt, the penguins are exclusively on land, plunging into the water for the first time only with the appearance of thick, almost waterproof plumage.

Do they eat penguins?

It is difficult to give a definite answer to such a question. Today, a person is unlikely to decide on such a delicacy, although in extreme conditions everything can be. According to some reports, penguin meat dishes include in their menu some peoples inhabiting the territory of Antarctica.

Confirmed evidence of the use of penguin meat for food is the information in the book "Antarctic Odyssey" by author R. Priestley. It describes in detail the hunt for penguins by members of the expedition in order not to die of hunger due to lack of provisions. True, this happened quite a long time ago, at the beginning of the 20th century, and was caused by unforeseen circumstances, when the duration of the expedition unexpectedly increased. According to participants, the penguin breast was valued for its nutritional value due to its fat content and tasted good.

• Among the penguins there are champion swimmers: gentoo penguins reach speeds in the water up to 32-36 km / h.
• The Magellanic penguin got its name from a famous traveler who discovered an unusual flightless bird in 1520 near the island of Tierra del Fuego.
• On land, the penguin is very clumsy and quite often, throwing its head back sharply, loses its balance and falls on its back. From this position, the bird can no longer rise on its own, therefore, at many polar stations, an amazing profession has appeared - a penguin lifter, or a penguin flipper. This person helps the penguins roll over and assume the bird's normal upright position.

06.05.2016

Penguins are the only penguin-like order, consisting of 18 species. This is a family of flightless seabirds, all members of which dive and swim well. What interesting facts about penguins can be cited as an example when analyzing this group of animals?

1. Unlike other flightless birds, penguins have well-developed sternum bones that help them move quickly through the water.
2. Penguins are large birds with an average weight of 45 kg. The largest penguin is the emperor. He can easily reach a person's shoulder while standing.
3. Penguins live in the southern hemisphere from Antarctica to the Galapagos Islands.
4. Most penguin species form pairs for life.
5. Penguin chicks are born densely hairy and blind.
6. Penguins do not nest every year. Between nesting seasons, they swim in the ocean about 1,000 km from where their chicks will be born.
7. Penguins molt once a year for 20 days. Old feathers are replaced by new ones gradually. Moulting occurs on land in a secluded place. During this period, the birds are starving.
8. 36 species of penguins are known in fossil form, the oldest of which was found in the New Zealand archipelago.
9. Unlike other penguins, emperor penguins nest on the ice, even during the harshest time of the year.
10. The appearance of a single egg, the male and female emperor penguins are greeted with jubilant cries. The male remains to look after the egg until the time of its hatching, and the female goes to sea. Sometimes males run away to the sea, leaving the female, such egoists also occur. Then the egg dies, and the chick is not born.
11. By the time the chick hatches, the female emperor penguin returns, and the male leaves for fattening for a month. He will return to feed the baby. If the female does not return or is late, the chick will not survive.
12. Single male penguins steal newborns and fights often arise between them for possession of the baby.
13. King penguins nest on the rocky shores of the islands north of Antarctica. The male and female take turns incubating the eggs.
14. Penguins whose chick died for some reason start breeding at an earlier date.
15. The most numerous among the penguins is the Antarctic Adélie species. They nest on the windy rocky shores of Antarctica and on nearby islands. Arriving at the place, they begin to dig a hole and cover it with stones, often stealing building material from each other.
16. Male and female Adélie penguins incubate eggs, replacing each other. For about 2 weeks, one of the parents feeds, and then the other. If the clutch dies for some reason, then the parents still return to its place and stay there, starving for about two weeks, but they do not start a new clutch.
17. Adélie penguins are very curious and fearless birds.
18. The smallest is the little penguin. It breeds along the southern coasts of Australia and on nearby islands. His height is 40 cm.
19. To the north of all, the Galapagos penguin nests. This is the only species of the genus that lives in the tropics.
20. The magnificent penguin differs from other species in that it does not form colonies when nesting. Pairs nest separately and form for life or until the death of one of the partners.
21. Penguins drink sea water. Excess salt is removed from them with the help of glands located at the top of the eyes.
22. More recently, using DNA analysis, scientists have identified the closest relatives of penguins. They are loons, petrels and albatrosses.
23. Penguins can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes.
24. Although the speed of movement of penguins on land is 1-2 kilometers per hour, in this way they can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometers without stopping to rest.

About half of the penguin species are endangered, and three species are close to extinction.

It is believed that penguins are very frost-resistant, and low temperatures are an indispensable condition for their habitat. In fact, among these birds there are heat-loving varieties. For example, the Galapagos penguins living on the islands of the same name. The year-round temperature there does not fall below +18 degrees.

Papuan penguins are considered to be original champions in the world of penguins. When swimming, they develop a speed of 36 km / h.

Penguins do not like to walk on loose snow, as they fall into it. In order to move comfortably during warming, they lie on their stomach and glide, using wings and legs to push away.

If remade for penguins famous quote Maxim Gorky, it turns out "born to swim cannot fly." These birds are amazing swimmers, but the air spaces are inaccessible to them.

And the penguins are great at diving. And if the bird is really hungry, and nothing edible comes across on the surface of the ocean, it is able to get its own food at a depth of up to 200 m. True, only one species of birds can reach such a depth - king penguins.

Penguins are the only birds that can not only stand upright, but also walk in that position.

Rocky penguins got such a nickname because they love not just to go into the water, but to jump into it from the rocks.

Emperor penguins are real giants among their fellows. Their weight exceeds 27 kilos, and their height is over a meter.

Penguins are born completely naked. "Clothes" of feathers are formed in them within a few weeks. The appearance of the most important feathers - waterproof - the baby sometimes has to wait more than a year. Until they grow back, the bird lives with its parents, even if it almost reaches the size of a large individual. These feathers, as well as a layer of subcutaneous fat, help penguins accumulate heat and endure frost.

The penguin's ability to walk vertically is due to the fact that their short and thick legs are not located directly in the center of gravity, but slightly behind. That is why they walk so straight, awkwardly waddling "from one foot to the other."

Patagonian penguins are considered the most enduring swimmers among penguins. Reaching the goal, such a penguin can spend about three weeks on the road and overcome one and a half thousand kilometers during this time.

Not all penguins are good-natured and meek. For example, stone ones have a rather nasty character. They are noisy and often rush to attack an unpleasant object.

The penguin couple lives according to the laws of "matriarchy". After laying the eggs, the female leaves them caring father, and she goes to “earn a living”: she gets food for her partner and cubs. When the babies are born, daddy even has something like milk in the esophagus, with which he feeds the offspring, burping this mass.

Once a year, penguins shed their old plumage and grow new ones. This process takes up to three weeks.

One of the varieties of penguins - Magellanic - is named after Ferdinand Magellan. In 1520, near the island of Tierra del Fuego, the traveler was the first to discover these animals.

To quench their thirst, penguins do not need fresh water. In their body there are glands that can remove salt from sea ​​water. Salt impurities are released through the grooves in the beak, and the bird, having desalinated the water in this way, completely quenches its thirst.