Random Facts About Penguins

All Penguins Facts

• Emperor penguins can dive deeper than any other bird, reaching depths of over 500 meters.
• Penguins can't fly, but they "fly" through water: some species swim as fast as 22 mph.
• A group of penguins in water is called a "raft," while a group on land is called a "waddle."
• Emperor penguin fathers incubate their single egg on their feet for about two months through the Antarctic winter, without eating.
• Penguins have a gland behind their eyes that filters excess salt from the seawater they drink.
• Most penguin species live in the Southern Hemisphere, but the Galápagos penguin lives near the equator.
• Penguins have countershaded plumage (black backs and white bellies) that helps camouflage them from predators both above and below.
• Some penguin couples propose to each other with a pebble as a symbolic gift.
• Penguins' wings evolved into flippers, trading flight for powerful underwater swimming.
• A penguin's tuxedo-like coloring is a form of camouflage called countershading, not decoration.
• Chinstrap penguins get their name from the thin black band under their heads that looks like a helmet strap.
• Penguins molt all their feathers at once each year, leaving them unable to swim or feed until regrowth is complete.
• The smallest penguin species, the little penguin, stands only about 13 inches tall.
• Penguins can leap up to 6 feet out of the water to land on ice, a behavior called "porpoising" when done at speed.
• Antarctica is home to the largest colonies of penguins, but not all penguin species live there.

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