PENGUIN FACTS by Laketempest 2011/03/01 18:16
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.
Read on to find out more on the penguin!
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.
Read on to find out more on the penguin!
Laketempest 2011/03/01 18:21
Adelie penguins;
> Adelie penguins live on the Antarctic continent and on many small, surrounding coastal islands. They spend the winter offshore in the seas surrounding the Antarctic pack ice.
> Adelies feed on tiny aquatic creatures, such as shrimp-like krill, but also eat fish and squid. They have been known to dive as deep as 575 feet 175 meters in search of such quarry, though they usually hunt in far shallower waters less than half that depth.
> Like other penguins, Adelies are sleek and efficient swimmers. They may travel 185 miles round-trip about 300 kilometers to procure a meal.
> During the spring breeding season in October, they take to the rocky Antarctic coastline where they live in large communities called colonies. These groups can include thousands of birds.
> Once on land, Adelies build nests and line them with small stones. Though they move with the famed penguin waddle they are capable walkers who can cover long overland distances. In early spring, before the vast sheets of ice break up, they may have to walk 31 miles 50 kilometers from their onshore nests to reach open water.
> Male Adelie penguins help their mates rear the young and, without close inspection, the two sexes are nearly indistinguishable. They take turns sitting on a pair of eggs to keep them warm and safe from predators. When food is short, only one of the two chicks may survive. After about three weeks, parents are able to leave the chicks alone, though the offspring gather in groups for safety. Young penguins begin to swim on their own in about nine weeks.
Adelie penguins;
> Adelie penguins live on the Antarctic continent and on many small, surrounding coastal islands. They spend the winter offshore in the seas surrounding the Antarctic pack ice.
> Adelies feed on tiny aquatic creatures, such as shrimp-like krill, but also eat fish and squid. They have been known to dive as deep as 575 feet 175 meters in search of such quarry, though they usually hunt in far shallower waters less than half that depth.
> Like other penguins, Adelies are sleek and efficient swimmers. They may travel 185 miles round-trip about 300 kilometers to procure a meal.
> During the spring breeding season in October, they take to the rocky Antarctic coastline where they live in large communities called colonies. These groups can include thousands of birds.
> Once on land, Adelies build nests and line them with small stones. Though they move with the famed penguin waddle they are capable walkers who can cover long overland distances. In early spring, before the vast sheets of ice break up, they may have to walk 31 miles 50 kilometers from their onshore nests to reach open water.
> Male Adelie penguins help their mates rear the young and, without close inspection, the two sexes are nearly indistinguishable. They take turns sitting on a pair of eggs to keep them warm and safe from predators. When food is short, only one of the two chicks may survive. After about three weeks, parents are able to leave the chicks alone, though the offspring gather in groups for safety. Young penguins begin to swim on their own in about nine weeks.
Laketempest 2011/03/01 18:26
Emperor penguins;
> Emperors are the largest of all penguins, an average bird stands some 45 inches 115 centimeters tall. These flightless animals live on the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters.
> Penguins employ physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors in order to deal with an incredibly harsh environment, where wind chills can reach -76F -60C.
> They huddle together to escape wind and conserve warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group's protected and relatively toasty interior. Once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from the icy elements.
> Emperor penguins spend the long winter on the open ice, and even breed during this harsh season. Females lay a single egg and then promptly leave it behind. They undertake an extended hunting trip that lasts some two months. Depending on the extent of the ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles 80 kilometers just to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill. At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet 565 meters deeper than any other bird, and stay under for more than 20 minutes.
> Male emperors keep the newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on them, as many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs from the elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them with feathered skin known as a brood pouch. During this two-month bout of babysitting the males eat nothing and are at the mercy of the Antarctic elements.
> When female penguins return to the breeding site, they bring a belly full of food that they regurgitate for the newly hatched chicks. Meanwhile, their duty done, male emperors take to the sea in search of food for themselves.
> Mothers care for their young chicks and protect them with the warmth of their own brood pouches. Outside of this warm cocoon, a chick could die in just a few minutes. In December, Antarctic summer, the pack ice begins to break up and open water appears near the breeding site, just as young emperor penguins are ready to swim and fish on their own.
Emperor penguins;
> Emperors are the largest of all penguins, an average bird stands some 45 inches 115 centimeters tall. These flightless animals live on the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters.
> Penguins employ physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors in order to deal with an incredibly harsh environment, where wind chills can reach -76F -60C.
> They huddle together to escape wind and conserve warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group's protected and relatively toasty interior. Once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from the icy elements.
> Emperor penguins spend the long winter on the open ice, and even breed during this harsh season. Females lay a single egg and then promptly leave it behind. They undertake an extended hunting trip that lasts some two months. Depending on the extent of the ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles 80 kilometers just to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill. At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet 565 meters deeper than any other bird, and stay under for more than 20 minutes.
> Male emperors keep the newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on them, as many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs from the elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them with feathered skin known as a brood pouch. During this two-month bout of babysitting the males eat nothing and are at the mercy of the Antarctic elements.
> When female penguins return to the breeding site, they bring a belly full of food that they regurgitate for the newly hatched chicks. Meanwhile, their duty done, male emperors take to the sea in search of food for themselves.
> Mothers care for their young chicks and protect them with the warmth of their own brood pouches. Outside of this warm cocoon, a chick could die in just a few minutes. In December, Antarctic summer, the pack ice begins to break up and open water appears near the breeding site, just as young emperor penguins are ready to swim and fish on their own.
Laketempest 2011/03/01 18:34
Gentoo penguins;
> With flamboyant red-orange beaks, white-feather caps, and peach-colored feet, gentoo penguins stand out against their drab, rock-strewn Antarctic habitat.
> These charismatic waddlers, who populate the Antarctic Peninsula and numerous islands around the frozen continent, are the penguin worlds third largest members, reaching a height of 30 inches 76 centimeters and a weight of 12 pounds 5.5 kilograms.
> Gentoos are partial to ice-free areas, including coastal plains, sheltered valleys, and cliffs. They gather in colonies of breeding pairs that can number from a few dozen to many thousands.
> Gentoo parents, which often form long-lasting bonds, are highly nurturing. At breeding time, both parents will work to build a circular nest of stones, grass, moss, and feathers. The mother then deposits two spherical, white eggs, which both parents take turns incubating for more than a month. Hatchlings remain in the nest for up to a month, and the parents alternate foraging and brooding duties.
> Like all penguins, gentoos are awkward on land. But theyre pure grace underwater. They have streamlined bodies and strong, paddle-shaped flippers that propel them up to 22 miles an hour 36 kilometers an hour, faster than any other diving bird.
> Adults spend the entire day hunting, usually close to shore, but occasionally ranging as far as 16 miles 26 kilometers out. When pursuing prey, which includes fish, squid, and krill, they can remain below for up to seven minutes and dive as deep as 655 feet 200 meters.
> Gentoo penguins are a favored menu item of the leopard seals, sea lions, and orcas that patrol the waters around their colonies. On land, adults have no natural predators other than humans, who harvest them for their oil and skin. Gentoo eggs and chicks, however, are vulnerable to birds of prey, like skuas and caracaras.
> Gentoo numbers are increasing on the Antarctic Peninsula but have plummeted in some of their island enclaves, possibly due to local pollution or disrupted fisheries. They are protected by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 and received near threatened status on the IUCN Red List in 2007.
Gentoo penguins;
> With flamboyant red-orange beaks, white-feather caps, and peach-colored feet, gentoo penguins stand out against their drab, rock-strewn Antarctic habitat.
> These charismatic waddlers, who populate the Antarctic Peninsula and numerous islands around the frozen continent, are the penguin worlds third largest members, reaching a height of 30 inches 76 centimeters and a weight of 12 pounds 5.5 kilograms.
> Gentoos are partial to ice-free areas, including coastal plains, sheltered valleys, and cliffs. They gather in colonies of breeding pairs that can number from a few dozen to many thousands.
> Gentoo parents, which often form long-lasting bonds, are highly nurturing. At breeding time, both parents will work to build a circular nest of stones, grass, moss, and feathers. The mother then deposits two spherical, white eggs, which both parents take turns incubating for more than a month. Hatchlings remain in the nest for up to a month, and the parents alternate foraging and brooding duties.
> Like all penguins, gentoos are awkward on land. But theyre pure grace underwater. They have streamlined bodies and strong, paddle-shaped flippers that propel them up to 22 miles an hour 36 kilometers an hour, faster than any other diving bird.
> Adults spend the entire day hunting, usually close to shore, but occasionally ranging as far as 16 miles 26 kilometers out. When pursuing prey, which includes fish, squid, and krill, they can remain below for up to seven minutes and dive as deep as 655 feet 200 meters.
> Gentoo penguins are a favored menu item of the leopard seals, sea lions, and orcas that patrol the waters around their colonies. On land, adults have no natural predators other than humans, who harvest them for their oil and skin. Gentoo eggs and chicks, however, are vulnerable to birds of prey, like skuas and caracaras.
> Gentoo numbers are increasing on the Antarctic Peninsula but have plummeted in some of their island enclaves, possibly due to local pollution or disrupted fisheries. They are protected by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 and received near threatened status on the IUCN Red List in 2007.
Laketempest 2011/03/01 18:40
Rockhopper penguins;
> Rockhopper penguins are distinguished by the irreverent crest of spiky yellow and black feathers that adorns their head.
> Biologists left little ambiguity about this species preferred habitat when assigning its name. Rockhoppers are found bounding rather than waddling, as most other penguins do among the craggy, windswept shorelines of the islands north of Antarctica, from Chile to New Zealand.
> These gregarious marine birds are among the world's smallest penguins, standing about 20 inches 50 centimeters tall. They have blood-red eyes, a red-orange beak, and pink webbed feet.
> During annual breeding times, rockhoppers gather in vast, noisy colonies, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands, to construct burrows in the tall tussock grasses near shore. They return to the same breeding ground, and often to the same nest, each year, and usually seek out their previous year's mate.
> Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, aggressively pecking at anything, big or small, that may stray too close.
> Rockhoppers ply the frigid waters of their range using strong, narrow, flipper-like wings for propulsion. They usually stick to the shallows, but are capable of diving up to 330 feet 100 meters in pursuit of fish, crustaceans, squid, and krill.
> These penguins are among the most numerous on the planet, but their population is in rapid decline. Colonies on the Falkland Islands were once the largest anywhere, but commercial overfishing, pollution, and other factors have cut the penguins' numbers by 90 percent. Breeding colonies on other islands are in trouble as well, and some estimates say rockhopper penguins have declined by more than 30 percent over the past 30 years.
> They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, and if declines continue, they are likely to be uplisted to endangered in the near future.
Rockhopper penguins;
> Rockhopper penguins are distinguished by the irreverent crest of spiky yellow and black feathers that adorns their head.
> Biologists left little ambiguity about this species preferred habitat when assigning its name. Rockhoppers are found bounding rather than waddling, as most other penguins do among the craggy, windswept shorelines of the islands north of Antarctica, from Chile to New Zealand.
> These gregarious marine birds are among the world's smallest penguins, standing about 20 inches 50 centimeters tall. They have blood-red eyes, a red-orange beak, and pink webbed feet.
> During annual breeding times, rockhoppers gather in vast, noisy colonies, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands, to construct burrows in the tall tussock grasses near shore. They return to the same breeding ground, and often to the same nest, each year, and usually seek out their previous year's mate.
> Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, aggressively pecking at anything, big or small, that may stray too close.
> Rockhoppers ply the frigid waters of their range using strong, narrow, flipper-like wings for propulsion. They usually stick to the shallows, but are capable of diving up to 330 feet 100 meters in pursuit of fish, crustaceans, squid, and krill.
> These penguins are among the most numerous on the planet, but their population is in rapid decline. Colonies on the Falkland Islands were once the largest anywhere, but commercial overfishing, pollution, and other factors have cut the penguins' numbers by 90 percent. Breeding colonies on other islands are in trouble as well, and some estimates say rockhopper penguins have declined by more than 30 percent over the past 30 years.
> They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, and if declines continue, they are likely to be uplisted to endangered in the near future.
Zaphara 2011/03/02 00:48
penguins are really cutie...they can dance lol and gve entertaiment to us... Thanks for sharing with us, Saleem..
penguins are really cutie...they can dance lol and gve entertaiment to us... Thanks for sharing with us, Saleem..
Babjab 2011/03/03 04:48
Theese birds makes me laughs i wish at they could learn to fly soon that would make me laughs even lots
Theese birds makes me laughs i wish at they could learn to fly soon that would make me laughs even lots
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