Learn about Penguins!






Everything you need to know about Penguins


Press ā–¶ to hear what a Penguin sounds likešŸ§

Penguins are flightless seabirds that live almost exclusively below the equator. Some island-dwellers can be found in warmer climates, but mostā€”including Emperor, AdĆ©lie, Chinstrap, and Gentoo penguinsā€”reside in and around icy Antarctica. A thick layer of blubber and tightly-packed, oily feathers are ideal for colder temperatures.


The 18 different species of penguins can widely in shape and size but all have black bodies and white bellies. This protective countershading allows them to hide from predators like leopard seals and orcas while they swim. While penguins canā€™t fly, their stiff flippers, webbed feet, and sleek shape make them expert swimmers. In fact, they spend most of their lives in the ocean and do nearly all of their hunting for krill, squid, and crabs underwater.

They can swim about 15 miles an hour, and when they want to go faster, they often porpoise, or leap out of the water as they swim.


6 facts about Penguins

  1. Penguins are flightless birds.
  2. While other birds have wings for flying, penguins have adapted flippers to help them swim in the water.
  3. Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
  4. The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin species that ventures north of the equator in the wild.
  5. Penguin populations can be found in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa.
  6. No penguins live at the North Pole!