The penguin belongs to the order Sphenisciformes and is a
flightless bird native to Antarctica and other areas of
the southern hemisphere. The penguin is an aquatic bird with flipper like wings
that allow them to swim through the water. There are six living species of
penguin with the Emperor penguin being the biggest of the birds and the Little
Blue penguin being the smallest.
Penguins can range in size from two to 75 pounds in weight
and 16 inches to almost three feet in height. They have distinctive black and
white feathers that make it look as thought they are wearing human tuxedos.
Spending half of their lives underwater, penguins feed on different forms of
marine life including fish, krill and squid.
Living in colonies as small as a few hundred birds to as
large as a few thousand birds, penguins are social creatures. Penguins exhibit
a diverse level of communication skills. Penguins lay eggs, usually two at a
time, in each breeding season. Both the mother and father take turns keeping
the egg warm until it hatches which can take a few days or a few weeks.
On land, penguins have few predators and show little to no
intimidation from humans. The distinctive waddle of the penguin has made them a
positive bird image for both the world of cinema and literature.