Interesting Facts about Penguins

• Penguins are birds.
• The name is derived from Welsh terms ‘pen’, meaning head and ‘gwyn’, meaning white.
• Penguin is an unofficial symbol of the United States Libertarian Party.
• They mate for life.
• Linux mascot tux is also a penguin.
• They are ancient species that appeared 40 million years ago in the Eocene.
• Penguins don't fly, they swim.
• Penguins lay eggs.
• Penguin chicks have fluffy feathers.
• A group of penguins is called colonies or rookery.
• They usually move in huge groups.
• Penguins use their wings for swimming.
• Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Some penguins live in Antarctica, Coast of South America, South Africa, Galapagos, Southern Australia and New Zealand.
• Penguins hunt for fish, squid or shrimp like krill in the oceans to fill their stomach.
• Most penguins can swim about 15 miles per hour.
• Penguins have insulating layers of air, skin, and blubber.
• Penguins have tightly packed feathers that help them to keep warm.
• Penguins open their feather to feel the cold.
• There are at least 18 different species of penguins.
• There may be as many as 100 million penguins in the world.
• Penguins can be endangered by oil spills, water pollution, and the over harvesting

Penguins Fun Facts

• Penguins are social creatures.
• They adapt to various climates.
• They live in large colonies called rookeries.
• They waddle when they walk.
• Penguins are dresses in classic black and white.
• Penguins communicate with each other through body language.
• They spend most of their lives in water.
• They don’t fear humans but are endangered by oil spills, water pollution, and the over harvesting of ocean fish.
• Their body is insulated with a thick layer of blubber that keeps them warm.
• They leap out of water while swimming.
• They can walk faster than humans.
• They can hold their breath for about 20 minutes under water.
• They have more feathers per square inch that keeps them warm in frigid waters.
• They are counter-shaded for camouflage.
• Baby penguins have soft feathers known as down.
• They count on their parents for food until they grow up with waterproof juvenile feathers.
• They pick up stones and store them in their crop. This helps them to float when they are in water.
• They can control blood flow through fat.
• Rockhopper penguins have very loud calls.

source: Penguins Facts

Penguins - BBC



King penguins and their young - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife



Do penguins fly?