Penguins - a presentation by Carol Cleveland (NMGK-12 Project)
Slide 1: Title slide
Slide 2: What is a Penguin?
Penguins are types of birds and birds are animals. Things that make something a bird are:
presence of feathers, wings, warm-blooded, lay eggs. There are 17 recognized species of penguins.
Species differ in place where they live, coloration, size, behavior and diet. Penguins have short,
stocky wings that do not allow them to fly. The wings are more adapted for swimming, like fins or
rudders. Their bodies are very streamlined, shaped like a torpedo, so that they can move easily
through the water.
Slide 3: Where do Penguins Live?
Map of Southern Hemisphere. (It would help to have a globe to demonstrate northern and
southern hemispheres, equator, continents, etc.) All species live in the southern hemisphere
although one (Galapagos Penguin) does cross the equator while feeding in the ocean. All of the
southern continents have penguin species that live on them (Antarctica, Africa, South America and
Australia).
Penguins spend up to 75% of their time at sea, swimming and feeding. When they are on
land, they congregate on islands or remote areas of continents where there are no predators.
Because penguins do not fly, they cannot easily get away from predators. During the breeding
season, penguins come together in very large groups, called rookeries, to lay and hatch their eggs.
After the eggs hatch, the young congregate in groups called creches to protect themselves while the
parents go to sea to forage for food. Once the penguin young leave the nest, they will go to sea for
several years until they are mature.
Slide 4: Where do Penguins Live (cont.)?
It is a myth that all penguins live in Antarctica where it is cold. Many of the well known species
do live in cold habitats, like Antarctica or sub-Antarctic Islands. Others, such as the Galapagos
Penguin, live much farther north, in sub-tropical habitats. The Galapagos Islands are very close to
the equator.
Slide 5: What makes Penguins Special?
Penguins cannot fly. Their wings are short, stubby and rigid and are more suitable for
swimming. They act as flippers and rudders. Their feathers create a waterproof coat for the
penguins. The feathers are short, densely packed and have an oil on them that repels water.
The distinctive black and white color of penguins is very helpful in their survival. It is called
counter-shading. Because they live much of their lives in the ocean, it is important that they are not
easily seen by predators. Some of their predators, sharks, killer whales, and fish, can come from
below them. Penguin bellies are white and so something looking at them from below will have a
difficult time picking the white belly from the light sky. If the predator comes from above, such as
birds, leopard seals or man, they will see the black back of the penguin which blends into the dark of
the deep water.
Penguins have a thin coat of blubber underneath their skin, just like other cold-water warm
blooded animals do. This blubber helps insulate their vitals organs and keep the cold from
penetrating too quickly. The layer of blubber can also be detrimental to some of the warmer climate
species of penguin. It may keep them too warm in the tropical sun. To cool off, these penguins will
go swimming, hide in shade or open their beaks ("pant").
Penguins are very social animals and live in huge colonies. During breeding season these
colonies act as protection for the eggs and young against predators. These colonies can be huge,
100's of thousands of animals.
Species of Penguins
Slide 6: Emperor Penguins
Live on the ice shelves that surround parts of Antarctica. They are the only species of bird that
literally never set foot on dry land. Their breeding colonies gather during the winter (May-June) when
ice forms around Antarctica. Emperor Penguins are the largest species of penguins and can get up
to 3.5 feet tall and weigh 60 to 80 pounds. The males take care of the eggs once the female has laid
them. He keeps the egg on top of his feet, under a special fold of skin. He will hold the egg there for
the entire time until it hatches. If the egg falls out, it will very quickly freeze in the Antarctic winter.
Female Emperors stay out in the ocean over the winter and return once the eggs have hatch (6-8
weeks). Once the egg hatches the male keeps the chick in the same place, keeping it from freezing
and the female brings food. Emperor Penguins eat fish and shrimp.
Slide 7: King Penguins
King Penguins are the second largest penguins and look very similar to Emperor Penguins.
One way to tell them apart is by where they live. King Penguins have colonies on Islands in the
Antarctic Ocean and not on Antarctica. They do not lay their eggs in the middle of winter. The eggs
are incubated on the feet of the parent and nests are not built. Both the male and the female protect
the eggs and young. King Penguins eat fish.
Slide 8: Adelie Penguin
These are the "classic" black and white tuxedoed penguin. Adelie Penguins are the 2 nd
species of penguin that actually inhabits Antarctica but they nest on rocky outcrops during the
summer (January-February) and build nests of stones. So in contrast to the Emperors, they nest on
land, not on the ice sheets. Usually 2 eggs are laid and both chicks hatch. This species feeds on
krill, a shrimp-like animal that aggregates in huge numbers in the Antarctic Ocean. The krill are a key
food organism for many of the Antarctic marine animals (whales, etc.).
Slide 9: Macaroni Penguin
This is a species of crested-penguin. They have a crest of longer feathers along the sides of
their head. This species lives on the islands in the Antarctic Ocean that are south of South America
and Africa. They build nests by scraping shallow holes in the mud during the summer. The males
care for the eggs and young, while the female brings food. They usually lay 2 eggs but only one
chick survives. They eat mainly krill.
Slide 10: Magellanic Penguin
These penguins live on the southern coasts of South America, in Argentina and Chile. They
also live on Islands around the southern tip of South America, such as the Falkland Islands. These
penguins build nests under bushes or in shallow burrows that they dig. Both parents care for the
eggs and young and they eat squid and fish. These penguins are the most common ones exhibited
in zoos in the USA.
Slide 11: African Penguin
These penguins go by many names including African and Black-Footed Penguin. As their
name implies, they are found in Africa along the southern coast. They are fairly small and build their
nests under bushes. Often the female lays 2 eggs and both chicks live. This species eats mainly
fish. The Memphis Zoo has a display of this species of penguin. They are very similar to the
Magellanic Penguins except in location and subtle coloration differences (spots on chest).
Slide 12: Little Penguin
As its name suggests, this species is the smallest of all penguins. They grow to only 18-20
inches in height and weigh about 2 pounds. This species can be found in southern Australia,
Tasmania and New Zealand. There are several varieties that have slightly different coloration and
breed in different areas. They are often called Little Blues because of their bluish color. They nest in
long burrows that they dig and both parents care for the 2 eggs. They eat squid and fish.
Slide 13: Yellow-eyed Penguin
These penguins have a yellow band around their head that surrounds the eyes. They live and
breed on the southern island of New Zealand and also on other islands in that vicinity (OctoberNovember). They nest under thick bushes and have 2 eggs that both parents care for. They usually
do not nest in huge colonies but dig their nests out of sight of other pairs. They eat mainly fish.
Slide 14: Man and Penguins
How do humans and penguins interact? There are many negative influences of humans on
penguin populations. Oil spills in coastal areas can cover the penguins or their homes with oil.
Humans collect their eggs to eat as delicacies. Their guano (droppings) are collected as fertilizer
which disrupts their nesting habitats. In Australia Little Penguins and humans co-exist in some areas,
sharing habitat for living. Humans visiting and living on Antarctica leave a lot of trash which may
disrupt the Antarctic Penguins. Antarctic tourism is a big business now with cruise ships visiting
areas inhabited by penguins. Penguins are often displayed in zoos. There are a few species of
penguin that are declining in number but many of them are doing well and don't seem to be adversely
affected by hunting, spills, egg collection, etc.
Slide 15: Trivia Question
Why don't Polar Bears eat Penguins?
Answer: Polar bears live in northern hemisphere (Arctic Ocean area) and Penguins all live in
the southern hemisphere (Antarctic Ocean area).
Web Resources:
The Penguin Page: http://users.capu.net/~kwelch/penguins/
Penguins (Sea World): http://www.seaworld.org/penguins/pageone.html
Penguin Unit (3rd-6th grades): http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/encanto/penguins2/
Penguin Fact Sheet: http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/encanto/penguins/facts.html
Pete and Barbara's Penguin Pages:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Peter_and_Barbara_Barham/frame_ndx.html
Pictures of Penguins: http://members.aol.com/articdoll/html/photog.html
Penguin Diet: http://www.seaworld.org/Penguins/diet.html
Virtual Science Penguins: http://www.terraquest.com/va/science/penguins/penguins.html
Penguin Adaptations: http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html
Penguin Unit Worksheets:
http://www.schoolexpress.com/fws/listfiles.asp?cat=Science&sub_cat1=Animals&sub_cat2=Pen7
Penguin Worksheets: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/penguinsheets.htm
Penguin Activities: http://www.childfun.com/themes/penguin.shtml
Penguin Thematic Unit: http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/penguins.htm
Antarctic Penguins: http://sung3.ifsi.rm.cnr.it/~dargaud/Antarctica/Penguins.html
Falkland Penguins: http://www.falklands-nature.demon.co.uk/penguins/penguins.html
New Zealand Penguins (online games): http://www.penguin.net.nz/