Emperor Penguins Penguins are birds but they cannot

Emperor Penguins • Penguins are birds but they cannot fly. • Emperor penguins are the largest species of penguin. • Although they waddle slowly on land, they are super swimmers and brilliant divers. • They have strong flipper-like wings and webbed feet to help them swim quickly. • Emperor penguins live together in a colony. • They can live about 20 years in the wild or up to 50 years in captivity. An adult emperor penguin can grow to 115 cm tall – about the same as a six-year-old boy or girl!

Habitat All penguins live in the southern hemisphere, which is the bottom half of the world. The emperor penguin is found in the Antarctic, the coldest continent on Earth, but they are perfectly adapted to the harsh temperatures.

Special Adaptations Emperor penguins’ bodies and behaviour help them to survive. In extreme cold, the colony of penguins work together as a team, sharing their body heat. The penguins constantly shuffle, from the freezing cold outside of the huddle to the insulated inside, and then back again. Their bodies have a thick layer of feathers and fat. They even have special fat in their feet to prevent them freezing on the ice!

Diet Emperor penguins swim and dive like experts! They hunt their prey (krill, fish and squid) from the sea around the ice pack. Did You Know… Emperor penguins are the world’s deepest diving birds. One was recorded diving 565 m – that’s over half a kilometre down into the sea! Furthermore, they can hold their breath for up to 22 minutes!

Egg Laying The female lays one egg in May. It uses up a lot of her energy. She carefully passes it to the male and returns to the ocean. Breeding The young return when they are about five years old. In April, the penguins find a mate. Fledging By December, the sea ice has melted and the chicks leave the colony (fledge) and waddle along the ice to the sea. Incubation and Hatching The male keeps the egg warm through the winter in his large pouch on top of his feet. In July, the female returns from hunting to feed the chick food from her tummy. Moulting The chick lose their soft, fluffy, down feathers and grow sleek, waterproof ones. This is called moulting.

Teamwork Emperor penguins are the only animal that breeds during the Antarctic winter. The male and female work together to make sure their chick survives. After the female penguin lays a single egg, the male looks after it. He keeps it safe and warm for about 65 days in a place between his tummy and feet called a brood pouch. All the males huddle tightly together with their eggs, eating nothing in all this time. Exhausted, the female travels to the sea to feed. When she returns to the colony, the hungry male takes his turn to feed. A Long Way Back! The colony can sometimes be up to 100 km inland from the sea! What a tiring walk!

Chicks Both parents take it in turns to feed and protect their young chick. The chick eats regurgitated food – from its parents’ tummies! When their warm, down feathers have grown, the chicks all stay together in a group called a crèche while their parents take shifts to find food. Did You Know… Sometimes the chick hatches while its mother is still away at sea. Incredibly, the male can feed it a kind of milk from its neck! There are only three types of birds in the world which can do this: - Flamingos - Pigeons - Emperor penguins

Population and Climate Change It is estimated that there around 60 000 emperor penguins living in about 40 colonies. Emperor penguins rely on the permanent ice pack in order to breed. As sea temperatures rise with climate change, large areas of ice break up and melt. This reduces the size of their habitat, affects their prey and threatens their population.

Quiz Where do emperor penguins live? A Never in mind. Keep trying! the Arctic B in Africa Never mind. Keep trying! C Yay! Correct! in Antarctica

What is a colony? A B C Keep food trying! a. Never type mind. of penguin a large Yay! group. Correct! of penguins a place in. Keep Antarctica Never mind. trying!

What does being in captivity mean? A Never mind. Keep trying! being a captain B being in the wildtrying! Never mind. Keep C Yay!after Correct! being looked in a zoo

What is the southern hemisphere? A Never themind. South. Keep Poletrying! B the bottom half of the world Yay! Correct! C the topmind. half of. Keep the world Never trying!

What do penguins do in very cold weather? A Never mind. Keep trying! cuddle B huddle Yay! Correct! C colony Never mind. Keep trying!

In winter, the penguins gather in colonies on the ice pack. What does ice pack mean here? A mind. you’ve Keep bumped trying! your head something to. Never use when B something the penguins eat Never mind. Keep trying! C Yay! Correct! the permanent ice where the penguins huddle

Which verb describes animals having babies? A to breed Yay! Correct! B to brood Never mind. Keep trying! C huddle Nevertomind. Keep trying!

What do emperor penguin chicks eat? A Never mind. Keep trying! food that they catch B plants Never mind. Keep trying! C Yay!vomit Correct! food that their parents from their tummies

Where does the male hold the egg to keep it safe and warm? A mind. under Keep trying! in Never a big pouch his wing B in a Never brood mind. place under his tummy Keep trying! C Yay! Correct! in a brood pouch between his tummy and his feet

What is an emperor penguin’s prey? A Never mind. Keep leopard sealtrying! B orca (killer whale) Never mind. Keep trying! C Yay! Correct! krill, fish and squid The emperor penguins are the prey of leopard seals and orcas!