Description: The
Emperor Penguin is the world's largest and tallest penguin. It is also the
heaviest penguin, with some individuals recorded at nearly 100 pounds. Adults
have a black head, back, tail, and black wings. The underparts are dingy white.
The sides of the neck are marked with a large golden or yellow stripe. In
addition, there is a varying amount of gold on the upper breast. Like most
penguins, the Emperor Penguin has thick, waterproof feathers that cover the
entire body except for the bill and feet. Emperor Penguins normally live about
20 years in the wild, though some individuals have been recorded at 40 years of
age.
Diet: Crustaceans, krill, and small fish. Emperor Penguins will dive to
depths of 800 feet in search of food. Most dives last 3-6 minutes.
Predators: Sharks, Leopard Seals, Orcas. Chicks are vulnerable to
predation from South Polar Skuas.
Range: The
Emperor Penguin is found throughout the Antarctic perimeter. It is the only
species of penguin to breed during the Antarctic winter. Breeding takes place
about 60 miles from the coast in the Antarctic interior, where temperatures
regularly drop to -40 degrees Celsius. The trek from the Antarctic coastline to
the breeding grounds was the inspiration for "March of the Penguins".
Nesting: Female
Emperor Penguins lay a single egg in May or June. After the egg has been laid,
the female must immediately feed in the ocean. First, the egg is carefully
transported to the male, who incubates the egg under a brood patch that rests
above the feet. Occasionally, the transfer is unsuccessful and the egg rolls
onto the ice and instantaneously freezes.
The male will incubate the egg for up to 65 days! During this time, he
will not eat a single meal. In particularly cold days, hundreds of male penguins
may gather together in a compact huddle to warm themselves in the pounding
Antarctic winds. In about two months, the female returns and locates her mate
and chick by sound. She regurgitates food stored in her stomach to feed the
growing chick. The male then takes his turn feeding in the ocean and returns
after about a month, at which point both parents tend to the chick by
regurgitating food and keeping it off the ice. Once the chick is about seven
weeks old, it joins other chicks in a creche (huddle) to keep
warm.
Status: Populations of Emperor Penguins are thought to be stable.
Estimates indicate about
200,000 breeding pairs.
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