Penguins are birds that cannot fly. There are eighteen different species. They are all splendid swimmers and can propel themselves through the water at a rate of 30 kilometres per hour. They live only in the southern seas of the world, on the islands off Australia, in New Zealand, South Africa and southern South America. Those that live in the snow and ice cannot build nests.
The biggest are the Emperor penguins which stand about 1.2 metres and weigh about 75 kilogrammes. When a female lays an egg, it is the male that keeps it off the ice by resting it on top of his feet. When the chick hatches, the male, which will not have eaten for two months, then goes off to feed while the female stays with the chick to feed and protect it.
Adelie penguins gather in huge colonies, sometimes as many as half a million in one group.
Rockhopper penguins are so called because of the way they hop from rock to rock. They have long crests on their heads. Their chicks are covered with soft down when hatched. They are helpless at first and need to be looked after and fed for several weeks.
As far back as 1499 it was noted that the jackass penguin (right) brayed like an ass. It is also known as the black-footed penguin.Gentoo penguins live on many of the Antarctic islands. They are very friendly and do not fear man.King penguins also live in the Antarctic. They toboggan on their stomachs at great speed on the ice to escape -- their enemies.
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