Penguinnotes

Penguins - a presentation by Carol Cleveland (NMGK-12 Project)

Title slide

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Adelie Penguin These are the "classic" black and white tuxedoed penguin. Adelie Penguins are the 2nd 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.).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 (October- November). 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.

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.

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/