All About Penguins

They use their wings like flippers – discover everything about the lightning-fast swimmers in their black-and-white "suits"!

All About Penguins All About Penguins - Photos: (TL-BR) Sam/stock.adobe.com, Bigc Studio/stock.adobe.com, Mike Korostelev/Shutterstock, Roger ARPS BPE1 CPAGB/Shutterstock

What Are Penguins

Penguins are birds with striking black-and-white plumage. They have wings, but they cannot fly. However, they can swim very quickly with them, as they function similarly to flippers underwater. On land, they waddle slowly and move rather clumsily, which often looks quite amusing. Penguins often live in large colonies and take care of their young together. They primarily eat fish, squid, and crustaceans.

Main Characteristics of Penguins

1. Black-and-White Plumage

In the water, the black-and-white plumage of penguins serves as camouflage. A predator looking down at a penguin only sees a dark back that hardly stands out from the dark sea. A predator below a penguin looking up sees its light belly – which is hard to distinguish from the bright water surface. It’s all a matter of perspective!

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2. Wings for Swimming

Millions of years ago, the ancestors of penguins could still fly. However, they increasingly hunted in the sea because they found plenty of food there and thus developed stiff, flat, and powerful wings that they use like flippers. Of all the birds that can swim, they are the fastest - they can reach speeds of up to 22 mph (36 km/h) underwater.

3. Living in Colonies

All penguins live in colonies. The little penguin colonies consist of only 10-50 breeding pairs. The largest colony in the world is located on one of the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic. There, two million adult chinstrap penguins live (!).

Penguin Family Tree

Amazing Facts About Penguins

There are 18 species of penguins.
Penguins live exclusively in the southern hemisphere.
Their habitat is the open sea. They only go on land to breed.
Penguins can't fly, but they're excellent swimmers.
Penguins are carnivores. They feed mainly on fish.
The emperor penguin is the largest penguin. It grows to 43-51 inches (110-130 cm) tall and weighs 100 pounds (45 kg).
The smallest penguin is the little penguin. It grows to 13-16 inches (35-40 cm) tall and weighs 2 pounds (1 kg).
The fastest penguin is the gentoo penguin. It swims up to 22 mph (36 km/h).