You must have seen many birds in your life, but the bird we are going to talk about today is the penguin.
You will be surprised to know that despite being a bird, it cannot fly, but it is a very cute and unique bird that can swim faster than aquatic creatures and has the ability to survive even in the lowest temperatures.
In this article, I will tell you 15 interesting facts about penguins that will amaze both children and adults. So let’s start blogging.
Table of Contents
1. Penguins cannot fly in the air but can swim in water.
It is a matter of great surprise that the penguin is a bird, but it cannot fly. The reason behind this is that its design is such that it enables it to survive in the icy region and helps it to swim underwater. If you see it underwater, you will feel it is flying under the water. There are many fish in the water that cannot reach their maximum speed. The estimated speed of its swimming is 15 to 20 kilometers per hour.
2. Penguins Special Eyes for Underwater Vision
Penguins are birds that live on land and hunt in the depths of the sea. The eyes of the creatures that live on land are different from those that live in the sea. Now the question arises as to how the penguins can see both in the sea and on land. To find the answer, Dr Peter Hadden conducted research on their eyes, which revealed that these birds can see perfectly in the depths of the sea, while on land, they see blurry.
3. Penguins Recognize Each Other by Voice
Penguins prefer to live in colonies, with thousands of individuals in each colony. When a penguin has to call its mate or its children, why does only the related penguin respond within such a large colony? The answer is that their voices are unique.
Whenever they call, the related penguin recognizes the voice and responds to their call, while the rest of the penguins remain silent. We know that they cannot see completely on the land, so their means of finding each other is their call.
4. Penguins Walk Funny to Save Energy
Penguins waddle look pretty, but they work smarter than that. Scientists found that there is a reason behind waddling. Waddling helps them to travel long distances on ice using less energy, and their outstretched arms provide them with balance so they don’t slip and fall.
5. Penguins Live in Extreme Environments
There are many species of penguin found in this world, most of which live in cold regions, while there is one species that is found in a warm climate, called the Galápagos penguin. Now, a question arises here, what is it that helps them survive in such extreme conditions? The answer is that they have such short, stiff feathers packed on their bodies that protect them from the harsh weather and also help them to swim underwater easily.
6. Penguins Are Amazing Parents
The breeding season of the penguin is very interesting. After laying an egg, the female penguin gives it to the male penguin, who places it on her feet and starts incubating it. While the female goes out to hunt and returns after two months, by that time the male penguin incubates the egg and hatches the chicks from it.
During incubation, the male penguin has to face a significant loss in weight due to a lack of food. Now the next stage is even more difficult, in which a large number of penguin chicks cannot survive, and most of them die due to the severity of the cold. And the remaining chicks who withstand this severity are very few.
7. Penguins Have Waterproof Feathers
Penguins have hundreds of feathers per inch. These feathers are densely packed on their bodies. These feathers are coated with preen oil which helps them stay dry from water. Because of their waterproof feathers, they can survive in extreme weather conditions.
8. Penguins Sleep Standing Up
According to research, penguins sleep for about 11 hours a day. One interesting thing about their sleep is their microsleeps. Their total sleep is equivalent to about 10,000 micro sleeps, and each micro sleep lasts no more than 4 seconds. If they feel safe from predators, they sleep for about 21 hours a day. Another interesting thing about their sleep is that most of their species sleep standing up.
9. Penguins Can Jump Surprisingly High
Penguins are great jumpers. They jump when they come out of the water onto the ice. Their speed underwater is from 7 km/h to 20 km/h. They can jump more than 6 feet.
10. Penguins Communicate Using Sounds and Body Language
Penguins make a variety of sounds, such as honks, whistles, and squawks, depending on the situation at the time. They also display body movements along with different sounds to communicate emotions, such as aggression or affection, when defending their nests or searching for a mate.
11. Penguins Have Natural Predators
Most penguin predators are underwater, which is why they are not afraid of animals or humans when they see them near them on land. Penguin predators vary from species to species. Common predators for penguins on land are skuas and giant petrels, while in the ocean, they are leopard seals and killer whales.
12. Penguins Often Form Lifelong Bonds
Most penguin species choose the same partner for their entire lives and are therefore called monogamous. Every year, they unite with each other to breed. Sometimes penguin can change their mate.
13. Penguins Survive Freezing Temperatures
Penguins survive in extremely cold conditions thanks to their thick blubber, waterproof feathers, and huddling together to share warmth. According to research, some species have been observed surviving temperatures as low as -60°C.
14. Penguins Molt Every Year
Every year, penguins shed their old feathers and grow new ones. During this time, they stop their normal activities such as hunting, swimming, and eating. What they rely on at this time is their body fat. The molting process duration is approximately 2 to 4 weeks.
15. Penguins Are Highly Social Animals
Whenever you see them, they are found in large groups called colonies. The reason they live in colonies is to protect themselves from predators and to keep each other warm in extreme conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Penguins
Q.1 How long do penguins live?
Ans. In ideal environments, they can live up to 20 years.
Q.2 Where do penguins live?
Ans. Penguins mostly live in extremely cold regions.
Q.3 What do penguins eat?
Ans. Penguins eat fish, krill, squid, and other small sea creatures.
Q.4 Are penguins friendly?
Ans. Penguins live in the wild, so they like to keep their distance from humans in the wild.
Final Thoughts
Penguins are not only cute but also intelligent and social creatures. They have perfectly adapted to survive in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. The above interesting facts explain why wildlife lovers love them and want to know more about them.
