Where is penguins found

They use their feet and tail as a rudder, and propel themselves with their flippers. Penguins have a waterproof coat of short, overlapping feathers.

They have a well-developed layer of fat for insulation. Penguins feed on small fish and krill which they catch one at a time. Their main predators are other marine animals, such as leopard seals and killer whales. Skuas and sheathbills also eat penguin eggs and chicks. Penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

The greatest concentrations are on Antarctic coasts and sub-Antarctic islands. There are 18 species of penguins, 5 of which live in Antarctica. Unlike some birds that shed a few feathers at a time, penguins lose all their feathers at once during a process called catastrophic molt.

About two-thirds of penguin species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List, making them one of the most endangered seabirds.

Loss of habitat, disease, and infectious diseases spread by tourists loom as threats. Commercial fishing in the Southern Ocean is also a significant concern, as it has reduced fish supply by about half in the Antarctic Peninsula. This forces many penguins to compete for food, and puts them in danger of getting accidentally captured by fishing nets. Among the biggest threats to penguin populations is climate change. Warming in the polar regions has melted sea ice, which penguins depend on to find food and build nests.

Rapidly changing conditions mean Antarctica could lose most of its penguins to climate change by the end of the century. To survive, they may have to relocate to new habitats. All rights reserved. A pair of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua. Common Name: Penguins. Scientific Name: Spheniscidae. Diet: Carnivore. Group Name: Colony.

Average Life Span: years. Size: inches. Weight: pounds. Share Tweet Email. Penguins have extra cellular cones at the back of their eyes that allow them to see UV light rays, meaning they have a whole array of extra colors to enjoy. They have adapted to be quite resourceful in sneakily switching and stealing foraged items for nest building. Most precious of all, after the hatching o the chickling, many parents group their babies together in a way of protecting them and lessoning the responsibility of the parents who take turns in their babysitting duty.

Penguins are active protectors of their young juveniles until they are about 4 months old and able to forage for themselves. Penguins are actually able to filter the salt out of salt water for drinking purposes because of their rare subordital gland.

Any salt is sneezed out of their nose. The official number of Penguin types can be disputed but data collection suggests 26 species exist. African penguins Spheniscus demersus are the only species of penguin native to Africa, living only in South Africa and Namibia. However, three other species of penguin have similar calls, and to avoid confusion this species, which is only found on the continent, is now officially known as the African Penguin.

Northern rockhopper penguins are found in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Their breeding range is restricted to only seven islands within this area. The majority of northern rockhopper penguins can be found on Gough Island and the Tristan da Cunha group of islands. Inhabiting naturally uninhabited islands, these little birds have little fear of humans and treat us with curiosity — all they want is your love and respect. Rockhopper penguins are so named because they hop up and down steep slopes to go to their nests.

Penguins that are too young to have chicks hang around and get in the way at the rookery. King penguins Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus are native to the frozen and cold islands of the southern Atlantic Ocean, particularly the Falkland Islands.

These penguins are stunningly beautiful, but their fuzzy brown chicks may just be the ugly ducklings of all penguins. These majestic birds are the second largest penguin species. King Penguins form gigantic colonies when they come in to shore during the mating season. One colony at South Georgian Island is estimated to have over , birds. A conservative estimate puts the worldwide King Penguin population at 2.

However, they can dive deeper. Unfortunately, climate change is affecting their food source and thousands of their chicks starve every year. Fairy penguins Eudyptula minor minor , also known as southern little penguins, inhabit the western and southeastern coasts of the southern island of New Zealand.

Fairy penguins and other little penguin subspecies are the smallest penguins on the planet, and the only ones with blue eyes and feathers. They stand approximately 33cm tall and weigh around one kilogram, with males weighing slightly more than females. Little penguins breed in colonies along the southern coastlines of Australia and New Zealand, with Phillip Island in Victoria home to an estimated 32, breeding adults.