Where does the emperor penguin live? That magnificent emperor penguin! Locations of different types of penguins

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Kingdom: Animals

The emperor penguin (lat. Aptenodytes forsteri) is the largest of 18 species of the penguin family. The emperor penguin was discovered by the Bellingshausen expedition of 1819-1822.

The average body length of an adult animal is 120 cm, weight is from 27 to 41 kg. Outwardly, these birds look like they are wearing a tailcoat: their head is black with a bluish tint, their chest is white, the wings are black, the back is bluish-gray, and the beak at the base is purple-pink. On the cheeks there is a golden-yellow stripe going to the neck. There are no flight feathers on the wings, the span is 1.36 - 1.59 m. Small wings, unable to hold the bird's heavy body in the air, are excellent fins. When diving, the penguin rakes them like flippers and is able to move very quickly in the water.

When hunting, emperor penguins cover long distances, swimming speed is about 20-25 km / h, and depths up to 535 meters, but if the penguins are in a hurry, they can reach speeds of 40 km / h. If necessary, they can spend up to 15 minutes under water. The more light, the deeper they dive, since their main guide when hunting is sight, not hearing or echo sounder. On land, the speed of movement is 3-6 km.h.

Swimming under water differs from flying in the air in that the same energy is expended on raising the wing as on lowering, since water resistance is greater than air resistance, therefore penguin blades have a large surface in comparison with other birds, on which muscles are attached, responsible for lifting the wing. The pectoral muscles are developed and sometimes make up to 30% of the body weight, which is several times greater than the muscles of the most powerful flying birds.

Over the years of evolution, these seabirds have perfectly adapted to life in conditions of extremely low temperatures. Wise nature provided them with several layers of warm, durable feathers that can withstand an icy wind blowing at a speed of more than 110 km / h, at a temperature of -50 degrees. Under the skin of the bird there is a layer of fat, its thickness can reach three centimeters, and this subcutaneous protection from the cold also prevents the penguin from freezing either in icy water or on land.

In order to avoid heat loss through the paws, penguins have a mechanism for heat exchange of the blood streams circulating in the paws. Arteries and veins are located close to each other, arterial blood entering the paws is cooled, venous blood, on the contrary, takes heat from the arterial blood before returning back to the body of the bird. Thus, the temperature of the paws is much lower than the temperature of the body, the tissues here are much less sensitive to cold and the risk of frostbite is minimal.

Another clear difference between penguins and other birds is bone density. All birds have tubular bones, which makes their skeleton lighter and allows them to fly or run fast, while in penguins they are similar to the bones of mammals (dolphins and seals) and do not contain internal cavities.

The emperor penguin is a bird unadapted to flight, but its “flight” from the water cannot but arouse admiration, which can reach 1.8 meters.

Nearly all year round emperor penguins are forced to withstand severe frosts, which are often intensified by northerly winds blowing at speeds up to 200 km / h. Then mutual assistance comes to the aid of the inhabitants of the colony - they gather dense, up to ten individuals per square meter, in groups and warm each other with their warmth.

The birds in this unimaginable crowd move in periodic waves, constantly changing the structure of the group, which allows birds from the outer row to move inside the flock over time. Birds are "compacted" so closely that it is impossible to move separately. However, in a close group, they move in a very coordinated manner, maintaining mobility and "hermetic packaging". Every 30 to 60 seconds, all penguins take small steps that are transmitted like waves through the whole flock - over time, these small movements lead to a large-scale reorganization. In general, individual penguins do not change their position in relation to their neighbors, and they do not deliberately climb into or out of the aggregation.

According to their beliefs, penguins are monogamous, that is, pairs are created for almost a lifetime. If peacocks attract females with their beauty, and deer with tournament victories, then penguins rely on their voice in everything. The male begins to scream and waits for the female to respond to his unique “serenade”.

From now on, the male and the female stay together. "Flirting" penguins lasts a month. First, the penguin waddles after the "bride", and they dance for hours in one place, against each other, bowing their heads to the beat of their movements. Then the lovers arch their bodies, raise their heads to the sky and sing in turn. And the most interesting: before copulation, the penguin exchanges low bows with the penguin.

It takes 25 days before an egg is laid, the only one during the breeding season. Emperor penguin eggs are large: 12 cm long, 8-9 cm wide and about 500 g in weight. Their color is white. Egg laying is dated for May-beginning of June.

The male and female greet the appearance of the egg with loud, as observers say, "jubilant" cries. For some time, the female holds the egg on its paws, covering it with a special fold of skin on the underside of the belly. After a few hours, it is transferred to the male, while the female, having starved for 45-50 days, goes to feed at sea.

Daddy carefully holds the egg on his paws, covering the top with a fold of the abdomen, which is called a bag. Even in the most severe frosts, the temperature in the egg does not fall below 33.6 degrees. And so the father penguin stands, actually not moving for 9 weeks. During this time, he eats nothing but snow, so by the time his wife returns, he can lose up to 40% of his mass.

But this is not the most amazing! If the female suddenly, for some reason, does not keep up by the time the chick appears, the male finds the strength and means to feed the chick himself. Special glands begin to work, which process fat into a creamy mass. This " bird's milk”and the male expresses mouth-to-mouth to his chick!

In mid-July, the female returns. She recognizes her partner by voice and takes over from him the baton of hatching eggs. And he, having lost almost half his weight, goes to the sea to recuperate. It will replenish energy reserves and subcutaneous fat by hunting squid, fish and krill.

By this time, the chick is still covered with fluff and will be able to swim only after molting (about six months later). But he is already curious and begins to leave the female at the age of three or four weeks. Sometimes it ends badly. And the point here is not only in the "skua bandits" or giant petrels. The trouble is that penguins are extremely child-loving. Therefore, a bachelor or a female who has lost a chick is constantly ready to pull off and “adopt” a gaping baby.

As soon as the kid gapes, several hooligans attack him at once and try to capture him. When the parents discover the kidnapping, a real fight ensues between them and the kidnappers. Crimson blood stains appear on the blinding whiteness of the ice. The fate of the chicks depends on the outcome of these battles. If his parents save him, he will survive, despite serious wounds and spilled blood. If a bachelor forcibly adopts him, his fate is sealed, he will die. In a few days, the stepfather will get hungry, he will have to go in search of food, there is no one to replace him, he has no girlfriend, and then he will leave his stepson, dooming him to certain death.

The chicks are not similar in color to adults, they are grayish, with a white "face" and a black cap. The first and second downy outfits differ in the length of the pubescence. After 5-6 months, the 2nd downy outfit of the chicks is replaced by a feather one. At the same time, adult birds begin to molt, lasting more than a month. Birds spend this period standing motionless in secluded places, they do not eat anything, they lose a lot of weight. Since January, adult and young penguins go to sea.

The emperor penguin is under international protection, the number of penguins is declining as everything returns to Antarctica fewer birds from year to year.

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Emperor penguin males reach a height of 160 cm and weigh an average of 35-40 kg, but the maximum weight of a male can reach 60 kg. Females reach 114 cm in height and 28-32 kg in weight.

Like a sea bird emperor penguin hunts exclusively at sea. It feeds on fish, squid and krill. They hunt in groups. These groups swim right into the school of fish and quickly attack prey in it, pecking at everything that appears in front of them. They eat small prey right in the water, and with more big booty they must swim to the surface to carve it. When hunting, they overcome long distances and reach speeds of up to 3-6 km / h and depths of up to 35 meters. If necessary, they can spend up to 15 minutes under water. The more light, the deeper they dive, since their main guide when hunting is sight, not hearing or echo sounder.

Emperor penguin colonies are located in natural shelters: behind cliffs and large ice floes with the obligatory presence of open water areas. The largest colonies number up to ten thousand individuals. Often emperor penguins move lying on their belly, working with their paws and wings. In order to keep warm, they gather in dense groups, inside which the temperature can reach +35 degrees at an ambient temperature of -20 °C. At the same time, the penguins constantly move from the edge of the group to the center and back, so that everyone is on an equal footing. About two months a year they spend at sea, the rest of the time is spent on procreation. The emperor penguin, despite its proud appearance and name, is a very cautious and even shy bird. Many attempts to ring it were unsuccessful, because when a potential danger approached, such a panic began that the penguins scattered, throwing eggs and chicks.

Emperor penguins begin to breed in winter, in May - June, when the temperature in their habitats drops below -50 ° C, and the wind blows at speeds up to 200 km / h. This is due to the fact that emperor penguin chicks develop very slowly. Emperor penguin nesting colonies are located on coastal ice, occasionally on the continent. The colonies are located in places with the most favorable microclimate, having protection from the winds blowing at this time of the year from the middle of the mainland, for example, among cliffs, glaciers or in uneven ice. But there should also be open polynyas, crevasses, or areas of ice-free sea near the colony. This is necessary for birds to feed and feed the chicks. In severe frosts, penguins huddle in close groups, unlike, for example, Adélie penguins, which keep warm in pairs in a strictly limited nesting area.

Emperor penguins stay off the coast of Antarctica for about 10 months. The first birds appear on the nesting grounds at the end of the Antarctic summer (mid-March-mid-April). Here the birds unite in pairs, accompanying this process with screams and frequent fights. This is how a colony is formed. The maximum colony size is 10 thousand birds, the minimum is 300 birds.

Then the birds calm down, stand quietly in pairs during the day, gather in groups at night, forming a "turtle". In May-early June, the female lays a single egg, rolls it onto her paws with the help of her beak and covers it with a skin fold on the underside of the belly, which is called the pouch. The appearance of the egg is accompanied by loud cries of the parents. Emperor penguin egg weight 450 g, size 12x9 cm; the average egg temperature is 31.4°. After a few hours, the male, who also has a pouch, takes care of the egg. The female, having starved for 45-50 days, goes to feed at sea. Males, on the other hand, with any deterioration in the weather, gather in dense groups - about 10 birds per 1 m², which helps to save the life of future offspring. At the same time, approximately 4-8% of non-breeding individuals are present in the colony. The duration of incubation of eggs is 62-66 days, sometimes up to 100 days.

The females return from feeding and at the same time the chicks emerge from the eggs. Each female finds her husband by voice. Males, having starved for 3 months and having lost 40% of their body weight, give them eggs or already hatched chicks and go to feed themselves. The average weight of a hatched chick is 315 g. If the chick hatched before the female returned from the sea, then the father feeds him with "milk" - a special juice that the penguin's stomach and esophagus produces, or rather the esophageal gland. This juice contains a glycolipoprotein substance, which has about 28% fat, about 60% protein. On this food, the chick can hold out for several days. Females feed the chicks for about three weeks on semi-digested food, gruel from krill and fish, stocked up on a journey by sea, and the same milk. At the age of five weeks, the emperor penguin chicks no longer fit in the bag and go to the so-called "kindergartens", where they spend time huddled tightly to each other. Adult penguins protect them from attacks by predators - petrels and skuas. Parents find their chick among hundreds of others and feed only him. During this period, the chick can eat up to 6 kg of fish at a time. The nestling feeding period ends in December - January, at the height of the Antarctic summer. The molting period lasts for 30-35 days, during which the birds do not eat anything, sit still and lose a lot of weight. The chicks will become capable of swimming only by January. Then adults and young birds go to sea until next spring.

Emperor penguins have few enemies, and the natural age of these birds can be up to 25 years. The only predators that kill adult emperor penguins in or near water are killer whales and leopard seals. On ice floes, it sometimes happens that emperor penguin chicks become the prey of skuas or giant petrels. It is from the latter that the greatest danger comes, since it is the cause of the death of up to a third of emperor penguin chicks. For adults, these birds are not dangerous.

king penguin
king penguin
(Aptenodytes patagonicus)

Breeds on islands near Tierra del Fuego: South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Marion, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen (island), Heard, Macquarie (island) Macquarie.

The body length of the king penguin is from 91 to 96 cm.

King penguins nest in colonies hard surfaces, mostly rocks. The male, ready to breed, walks through the colony, shaking his head so that the females can see the orange spots on his head, indicating puberty. From time to time, the male utters invocative cries while raising his beak to the sky. An interested female approaches the male. Sometimes there are fierce fights for females during which males violently beat each other with wings. When the female makes her choice, a beautiful dance begins. The penguins either raise their heads to the sky and at the same time scream, then drop them, as if in impotence. The birds gently touch each other with their beaks and put their heads on the partner's shoulders and from the outside it looks like the penguins are embracing. When the dance ends, the female lies down on the ground, assuming an inviting posture. The male climbs on her back and the birds mate. Mating lasts approximately 4-6 seconds, after which the male moves out of the female. The dance and mating are repeated many times.

Eggs are laid in December-January, with one egg per clutch. The female lays an egg on her paws and covers it with a fold on her belly. Then the male joins in incubation. The duration of incubation is 54 days. A characteristic breeding feature of king penguins is that chicks survive mainly from eggs laid in November and December. The remaining chicks, from later clutches, do not have time to grow up and die in winter. Adult birds whose chicks have died start laying eggs earlier next time. At the same time, birds whose chicks have successfully grown the next time they start laying eggs later, and their next chicks do not survive.

Rockhopper Penguin
Western Rockhopper Penguin
(Eudyptes chrysocome)

It lives on the rocky islands of the subantarctic region, but is sometimes found further north, on the southern tip of Africa and South America, as well as on the southern coast of New Zealand.

Reaches 45-58 cm in height, weight 2-3 kg.

Breeds in extensive colonies on the barren and very harsh islands of Tristan da Cunha and Heard Island. These penguins are very noisy and have an evil disposition, attacking anyone and everything that threatens them. Arranges nests on ledges of rocks, coastal slopes, often digs holes. Clutch contains 2-3 eggs. In a noisy and crowded colony, the small first egg is usually lost in quarrels with neighbors. The chicks gather in the nursery, but return to the nest when the parents call them to feed them. Chicks grow up quickly and at the age of 10 weeks are ready to go to sea.

Feeds on krill.

Northern Rockhopper Penguin
Northern Rockhopper Penguin
(Eudyptes moseleyi)

Over 99% of these penguins nest on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Feeds on krill, crustaceans, squid, octopus and fish.

It breeds in large nesting colonies. These colonies can be located both near the sea and on steep slopes. Sometimes nests in the depths of the islands.

Thick-billed penguin
Fiordland Penguin
(Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)

It lives on the Stewart and Solander Islands adjacent to the south of New Zealand, as well as in New Zealand itself on the southwestern coast of the South Island.

Body length 55-60 cm with a weight of 2 to 5 kg (average - 3 kg).

They forage for food in coastal waters, feeding on crustaceans, cephalopods and small fish. During the breeding season they migrate from the coast, some nests can be located at an altitude of 100 m above sea level. In winter, penguins are in the ocean and live alone. In July they migrate to nesting sites. In the daytime, penguins hide in dense vegetation, rocky ledges, being active only at dusk and at night.

In colonies, pairs are located at a distance from each other. They do not nest in open places; rocky ledges, fallen trees, and burrows are preferred for nesting. Males return to breeding grounds in July, usually two weeks before females. The nest is built from small twigs. Females usually lay two pale green eggs. Hatching of eggs lasts 4-6 weeks. As a rule, most often one egg dies, but if both survive, then the parents are not able to feed two chicks, and the weaker chick dies. Of the two chicks, the one that hatches from the larger egg usually survives. From a smaller egg, often not a single chick hatches, or dies a few days after birth. The first 2-3 weeks, after the chick hatches, the male stays near the nest and guards it, while the female searches for and obtains food. Two weeks later, both parents go to feed at sea, leaving the chick on the shore as part of a group of young. At the age of 75 days, the chicks molt and are already able to swim in the sea.

Crested Snar penguin
Snares Penguin
(Eudyptes robustus)

It is endemic to the small archipelago of the Snare Islands, with an area of about 3.3 km², this is the smallest range among all penguin species. However, about 30 thousand pairs live in this territory. Despite the fact that human impact on the archipelago is minimal, terrestrial predators are absent, and shrubs and trees are densely growing on the islands, the endangered status of the species is relatively favorable.

It has medium dimensions: height is about 55 cm and weight is about 4 kg.

The basis of nutrition is krill (about 60%). The rest of the diet consists of small squid and fish.

Breeds in colonies from several dozen pairs to a thousand or more. Nests are built both in forests and in open spaces. From the age of 5-6, the female lays two eggs, which alternately incubate with the male for 32-35 days. In most cases, one of the chicks dies. Surviving penguins at the age of 2.5 months go to feed in the ocean on a par with adults. Life expectancy - 15-20 years.

For adult penguins on the high seas, the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) poses the greatest danger. Eggs and chicks are endangered on land by various birds.

Penguin Schlegel
Royal Penguin
(Eudyptes schlegeli)

It lives on the barren, desert island of Macquarie, located in the Pacific Ocean in close proximity to the Antarctic belt. On the island, penguins usually form colonies of up to 500 thousand individuals, but sometimes small colonies of up to 200 pairs are also found. In total, the number of penguins is estimated at 2-2.5 million birds.

Adults reach a height of 70 cm and a weight of about 6 kg.

This type of penguin breeds only on Macquarie Island. However, adult penguins spend most of their time in the ocean far from the island, where they feed on krill, small fish, and zooplankton.

The female usually lays two eggs, with an incubation period of about 35 days.

Great crested penguin
Erect-crested Penguin
(Eudyptes sclateri)

Breeds in New Zealand's Bounty Islands and the Antipode Islands.

This is an average penguin with a body length of 63-65 cm, weighing about 2.7-3.5 kg. Females are significantly inferior in size to males. In adults, the color of the head of the upper part of the neck and cheeks is black. On the front part above the eyes there is a wide yellow cruciform stripe. The top of the body is black with a blue tint; the bottom is white. The wing-fin is painted black and blue along the edge - a white border, the bottom of the wing-fin is white; its end is dark from the inside. The beak is long and thin brownish-orange. Grayish-brown chicks are white below. Grown up chicks are somewhat different from adults, the main difference is the yellow cross on the head smaller size than in adults.

It breeds in large colonies. Males usually return to nesting sites two weeks before females. The beginning of the mating season is marked by extraordinary activity, including fights. Nesting is arranged on a flat area of rocks no higher than 70 m above sea level. The female builds the nest by herself, raking out debris from under it with her paws. The male lays out the nest with stones, mud and grass. Eggs are laid in early October, laying lasts three to five days, during which time the female does not eat anything. There are two eggs in the clutch, the second egg is larger than the first. The eggs are light blue or greenish in color, but later they turn brown. From the moment when the second egg is laid, incubation begins, which lasts 35 days. The first egg usually does not survive, so penguins only incubate one egg. They take turns incubating: two or three days after the eggs are laid, the female leaves the nest, and the male remains on guard. This lasts three to four weeks, all this time the penguin fasts. The female returns to the chicks during the day to feed them by regurgitating food. In February, the chicks have already fledged and leave the islands where they were born.

Golden-haired penguin
Macaroni Penguin
(Eudyptes chrysolophus)

Widely distributed in colonies in southern Chile, Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands, the islands of the South Atlantic and east to Kerguelen and Heard. Golden-haired penguins are also found in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula. In total, over 200 breeding sites are known.

Adult golden-haired penguins are 50-70 cm tall and weigh just over 5 kg.

Their colonies are very numerous - up to 600 thousand nesting individuals. They nest on the ground, making very primitive nests. 2 eggs are laid. The duration of incubation is 35 days, with changes of parents characteristic of penguins.

little penguin
Little Penguin
(Eudyptula minor)

The habitat of little penguins is the coast of South Australia and New Zealand, as well as nearby islands. The population is estimated at about 1 million pairs.

Growth ranges from 30-33 cm, and weight is about 1 kg.

Feeds on small fish (10-35 mm), cephalopods, including octopuses, less often crustaceans. Penguins find their food in the upper layers of the sea, diving no deeper than 5 m from the surface, but if necessary, they can dive to a depth of 30 m, and the recorded dive record was 69 m. Young penguins usually feed singly, each by itself. It feeds throughout the day - from sunrise to sunset, but its hunting is not always successful. Compared to other species, it is distinguished by a slow metabolism.

The little penguin is a social bird and is considered the most nocturnal of the other species. During the day it hunts or sleeps in the nest. Penguins settle in colonies in which birds of all ages live. Among them, small groups are formed, which, at the end of the daytime feeding, go ashore, line up in a “parade” and give concerts, after which the penguins disperse to their sites.

It breeds on islands near the coasts, as well as in some wild corners of the South Australian coast. This occurs in August-December, most clutches are made in August-November. The male and female mate close to the nest, which is located in a cave or crevice. In most cases, the female lays 1-2 white eggs with a difference of 3-5 days. Incubation begins from the moment the first egg is laid, but the female can leave, and only with the appearance of the second egg do both partners sit on the clutch, replacing each other every few days. Incubation lasts about 36 days, their chicks weigh 40 g. They are fed for the first 10 days of life, and then for another 1-3 weeks the parents protect them, replacing each other. At the age of 3-4 weeks, the chicks are looked after only at night, and later their parents feed them once a day, visiting at night. Fledged chicks reach 90% of the weight of adult birds and leave the nest for 2-3 days, and then leave altogether. Both sexes of penguins reach sexual maturity at 3 years. From December to March, penguins molt, during which they stick together. Moulting occurs immediately after the end of the breeding season and lasts 10-18 days.

white-winged penguin
White-flippered Penguin
(Eudyptula albosignata)

Breeds only on Banks Peninsula and Motunau Island. Both nesting sites are located near the city of Christchurch, this is the South Island of New Zealand.

Reaches a length of 30 cm, with a mass of 1.5 kg.

Unlike other penguins, white-winged penguins are mostly nocturnal animals. During the day they sleep in burrows on the shore, but with the onset of darkness they go to sea in order to return to the shore before dawn. However, on the Banks Peninsula, they crawl out of their holes during the day, but do not go to sea. By evening, these penguins gather in groups in the sea near the coast and wait for it to get dark. Only then can they safely go to sea. The whole group goes to sea at the same time.

Egg laying occurs from July to December, but most eggs are laid from August to November. The female always lays her egg in a hole dug under a tree and arranged almost like a nest. However, a penguin may also dig its nesting hole in a grassy slope or even in a sand dune. Incubation lasts from 33 to 39 days. The chicks fledge and are ready to go to sea 50-65 days after they hatch.

Magnificent penguin
Yellow-eyed Penguin
(Megadyptes antipodes)

The main habitat is the islands from the south of the South Island to the Campbell Archipelago (New Zealand). Also, some specimens reach the Bounty and Antipodes Islands in the east and Macquarie Island in the south. The climate of the habitats of the penguin is temperate, it nests in native plants, not far from the ocean.

The growth of adult birds reaches 70-75 cm, weight - about 6-7 kg.

The magnificent penguin swims and dives well, but the danger in the sea is presented to him sea lions and sharks. An even greater threat is animals that are unusual for its places and introduced by man: rats, pigs, etc.

These birds do not form colonies and usually nest in separate pairs. Young penguins (at the age of 3 years) lay 1 egg each, older ones almost always lay 2 eggs. The duration of incubation in a magnificent penguin is 4 weeks. Sexual maturity of birds occurs, apparently, at the 4-5th year of life. Life expectancy - usually 10-12 years, in captivity, some specimens live up to 20 years.

Adelie Penguin
Adelie Penguin
(Pygoscelis adeliae)

It breeds on the coast of Antarctica and the islands closest to the mainland: South Shetland and Orkney. North 60° south latitude representatives of the species are extremely rare. From March to October, the Adélie penguin wanders in the ocean, moving away from nesting sites by 600-700 km. The main food of Adélie penguins is krill.

Body length about 70 cm, weight about 6 kg.

These penguins raise their chicks in the polar summer on the islands adjacent to Antarctica. All winter they swim among the ice floes 700 km from the nesting site. Having survived the polar night, the penguins go to nesting sites. There the birds build their nests out of small pebbles. Partners, replacing each other, incubate eggs, alternately feeding in the sea. At the beginning of the nesting season, Adélie penguins migrate from roaming areas to nesting areas within a month. At the end of the polar night (early October), the birds appear in the nesting areas. The air temperature at this time is kept at -40 ° C, and the average monthly wind speed reaches 60-70 km / h. Moving to nesting sites, birds go in groups from several tens to several thousand individuals, in a row or crawl on their belly at an average speed of about 4-6 km / h. Each pair occupies its last year's nesting site and begins to build a nest.

The nesting area of the Adélie penguin is a round area with a radius of 60-80 cm, which the birds remember and fiercely protect it from their neighbors. Depending on the age and "experience" of the birds, their nests are different. For some, it's just a few pebbles, for others it's a few hundred pebbles, stacked in a kind of "bowl". Adélie penguin nest building is accompanied by a lot of noise, because the neighbors are constantly stealing stones from each other. It often happens that some penguins trade themselves for an extra nest stone.

During this period, the birds do not eat anything, even if there is open water nearby. From the first half of November to mid-December, Adele lay eggs and begin to incubate them. During this period, the colony is quiet. Each pair sits within its territory and protects it from other penguins. There are usually two eggs in the clutch, which are laid with a break of 1-5 days. During this period, the snow begins to melt, and the force of the wind subsides a little. Immediately after laying the second egg, the females go to sea to feed after a month-long hunger strike. Males remain to incubate eggs and starve for another 2-2.5 weeks. By this time, the females return and replace the males on the nest. Males return from feeding after 3-12 days. Again on the nest there is a change of partners.

The chicks hatch in the most favorable period, when the snow has melted in some places and the sun is shining. At first, they hide under their parents, then they stand at the nest, hiding with their parents only during snowstorms. Gradually maturing chicks move away from their nests and form groups of 3-4 chicks. Then the number of birds in the group reaches 10-20 individuals.

In bad weather, the chicks huddle together, but usually stand free. Parents returning with food unmistakably find their chicks in groups, and, as a rule, drive away strangers. As soon as the molting of the chicks is completed, they mix with adult birds. In mid-February-late March, Adeles leave their nesting sites. Young birds are the first to swim to the open sea. Adult birds molt on the rocks for about two weeks, during this period they also starve, because they cannot be in the water, then, at the end of the molt, they also swim into the sea until next spring.

Antarctic penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
(Pygoscelis antarcticus)

The habitat of this species is the coast of Antarctica from the side of the American continents and adjacent islands, to the north it is distributed to South Georgia, Bouvet and Balleny. Swims to the Falkland Islands. Penguins are also found on icebergs in Antarctica. The number of individuals is estimated at 6.5-7.5 million pairs.

Adult chinstrap penguins reach a height of 60-70 cm and weigh about 4.5 kg.

Penguins build nests among stones, male and female alternately incubate 1-2 eggs for 5-10 days for 35 days. Unlike other species, they feed their both chicks. At the age of 50-60 days, the young are already beginning to go to sea. Adult chinstrap penguins are excellent swimmers and divers, they can reach depths of up to 250 m. The basis of their diet is krill, sometimes small fish. Chinstrap penguins can travel up to 1,000 km from their nesting sites at sea.

These penguins are quite aggressive. There are known cases of these birds attacking people approaching the colony.

subantarctic penguin
Gentoo Penguin
(Pygoscelis papua)

Range - subantarctic islands. The species is widely distributed in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Kerguelen Archipelago. Also, the subantarctic penguin breeds on Macquarie, Heard and McDonald Islands, the north of the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands.

Males reach a weight of 9 kg, and females - 7.5 kg, the growth of adults is 75-90 cm. Under water they reach a speed of 36 km / h, which makes them the fastest of all penguins. The diving depth can reach 200 m.

They feed on krill, less often on small fish. The natural enemies of the species are killer whales, sea lions and leopards. Seabirds do not pose a threat to adults, but threaten eggs and chicks.

Nests are built among tufts of soddy grass. The female usually lays 2 eggs; both parents incubate the clutch for an average of 34 days, changing after a few days. After 14 weeks, the chicks begin to go to sea.

spectacled penguin
African Penguin
(Spheniscus demersus)

Distribution area - the coast of South Africa and Namibia and nearby islands in the area of the cold Benguela Current. Lives in colonies. Today the population is estimated at 140-180 thousand individuals.

It reaches 65-70 cm in height and weighs 3-5 kg.

Penguins in the water can reach speeds of up to 20 km / h, dive deeper than 100 m and hold their breath for 2-3 minutes. During feeding they can swim 70-120 km in the ocean. They feed mainly on small fish (fry of herring, anchovies, sardines, etc.). The main enemies are sharks, gulls (for chicks), fur seals (as a competitor for prey and as a predator) and feral cats (for chicks and eggs in some colonies).

The cries of penguins resemble those of donkeys. The penguin lives for 10-12 years, females usually begin to give birth to offspring at 4-5 years. The clutch consists of 2 eggs, which are incubated by both parents in turn for about 40 days. The chicks are covered with brownish-gray down, later with a bluish tinge. The breeding season is not clearly defined, it varies depending on the place.

Galapagos penguin
Galapagos Penguin
(Spheniscus mendiculus)

The Galapagos penguin is unique among other penguins in that the range is not the Antarctic and subantarctic regions, not even temperate, but the Galapagos Islands located just a few tens of kilometers from the equator. The air temperature in habitats ranges from +18-+28°C, water - +22-+24°C. About 90% of penguins live on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela. The number of individuals is estimated at 1500-2000 adult birds.

Adults reach a height of about 50 cm and a weight of about 2.5 kg.

The main diet is small fish, crustaceans. Birds usually incubate eggs for 38-40 days, male and female alternately. At the age of 60-65 days, the chicks go to sea with adults. Galapagos penguins nest near the water.

Penguin Humboldt
Humboldt Penguin
(Spheniscus humboldti)

It breeds on the rocky coasts of Chile and Peru, where the cold Peruvian current passes.

Reaches a height of 55-56 cm, with a weight of 5 kg.

Magellanic Penguin
Magellanic Penguin
(Spheniscus magellanicus)

The main nesting area is the Patagonian coast, Tierra del Fuego, the Juan Fernandez Islands and the Falklands. Individuals have been seen as far north as Rio de Janeiro and southern Peru. It also inhabits the coasts of South America north of Coquimbo (Chile) and Rio de Janeiro. The number is estimated at about 1.8 million pairs.

Adults reach a height of 70-80 cm and a weight of 5-6 kg.

Life expectancy - about 15 years, less often - up to 20 years, in captivity it is possible to live up to 20-25 years. Magellanic penguins feed on krill, cuttlefish and small fish. Nests are arranged in burrows that are dug in soft ground. Both parents incubate the egg - about 40 days. The family alternately usually incubates 1-2 eggs.

emperor penguin- the largest and heaviest modern species the penguin family. On average, the height is about 122 cm, and the weight ranges between 22 and 45 kg. The head and back of the body are black, the ventral part is white, becoming yellow towards the top. Like all penguins, emperor penguins cannot fly. Together with the king penguin, it belongs to the genus of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes). The specific Latin name is given in honor of the German scientist Johann Forster (1729-1798).

Appearance

Emperor penguin males reach a height of 130 cm and weigh an average of 35-40 kg, but the maximum weight of a male can reach 50 kg. Females reach 114 cm in height and 32 kg in weight. This is the largest of all modern penguins. The muscle mass of the emperor penguin is also the largest of all bird species (mainly due to the pectoral muscles). The plumage of the emperor penguin is black on the back and white on the chest, which makes it less visible to enemies in the water. Under the neck and on the cheeks they have a yellow-orange color. The chicks are covered with white or grayish-white down.

History of study

The emperor penguin was discovered by the Bellingshausen expedition of 1819-1822.

A significant contribution to the study of the emperor penguin was made by the Antarctic expedition of Robert Scott 1910-1913. when a group of three (including Adrian Wilson) went from their base at Cape Evans in McMurdo Bay to Cape Crozier, where they obtained several penguin eggs, which was important for studying the embryonic period of development of these birds.

Spreading

Of all the penguin species, the emperor penguin goes furthest south. About 300,000 emperor penguins live on ice floes around Antarctica, but migrate to the mainland to mate and incubate their eggs.

Until 2009, it was believed that there were 34 of their colonies in the world. As a result of studying satellite images of Antarctica (LandSat Image Mosaic of Antarctica), scientists found 38 traces of litter in the snow, which corresponds to 38 wintering places, that is, the same number of colonies.

Nutrition

As a sea bird, the emperor penguin hunts exclusively in the ocean. It feeds on fish, squid and krill. Emperor penguins hunt in groups. These groups swim right into the school of fish and quickly attack prey in it, pecking at everything that appears in front of them. They eat small prey right in the water, and with larger prey they must swim to the surface to butcher it. When hunting, emperor penguins cover long distances, moving at a speed of 3-6 km / h and descending to a depth of 567 meters. If necessary, they can spend up to 15 minutes under water. The more light, the deeper they dive, since their main guide when hunting is sight, not hearing or echo sounder.

Lifestyle and behavior

In order to keep warm, emperor penguins gather in dense groups, inside which the temperature can reach +35 degrees at an ambient temperature of -20 °C. At the same time, the penguins constantly move from the edge of the group to the center and back, so that everyone is on an equal footing.

Emperor penguins spend about two months a year at sea, the rest of the time is spent on procreation.

The emperor penguin, despite its proud appearance and name, is a very cautious and even shy bird. Many attempts to ring it were unsuccessful, because when a potential danger approached, such a panic began that the penguins scattered, throwing eggs and chicks.

reproduction

Emperor penguins begin to breed in May - June, when temperatures drop below -50 ° C in their habitats, and the wind blows at speeds up to 200 km / h. Due to such weather conditions, emperor penguin chicks develop very slowly. Emperor penguin nesting colonies are located on coastal ice, occasionally on the continent. The colonies are located in places with the most favorable microclimate, having protection from the winds blowing at this time of the year from the middle of the mainland, for example, among cliffs, glaciers or in uneven ice. But there should also be open polynyas, crevasses, or areas of ice-free sea near the colony. This is necessary for birds to feed and feed the chicks. In severe frosts, penguins huddle in close groups, unlike, for example, Adélie penguins, which keep warm in pairs in a strictly limited nesting area.

Then the birds calm down, stand quietly in pairs during the day, gather in groups at night, forming a "turtle". In May-early June, the female lays a single egg, rolls it onto her paws with the help of her beak and covers it with a skin fold on the underside of the belly, which is called the pouch. The appearance of the egg is accompanied by loud cries of the parents. Emperor penguin egg weight 450 g, size 12x9 cm; the average egg temperature is 31.4 C°. After a few hours, the male, who also has a pouch, takes care of the egg. The female, having starved for 45-50 days, goes to feed at sea. Males, on the other hand, with any deterioration in the weather, gather in dense groups - about 10 birds per 1 m², which helps to save the life of future offspring. At the same time, approximately 4-8% of non-breeding individuals are present in the colony. The duration of incubation of eggs is 62-66 days, sometimes up to 100 days.

natural enemies

Emperor penguins have few enemies, and the natural age of these birds can be up to 25 years.

The only predators that kill adult emperor penguins in or near water are killer whales and leopard seals. On ice floes, it sometimes happens that emperor penguin chicks become the prey of skuas or giant petrels. It is from the latter that the greatest danger comes, since it is the cause of the death of up to a third of emperor penguin chicks. For adults, these birds are not dangerous.

The penguin family includes eighteen species, but only two of them belong to the emperor penguin genus. This is the emperor penguin and the king penguin, which is inferior to the first in size. The emperor penguin genus is one of the oldest in its family, and it is from appearance its representatives, most of us associate the word "penguin". However, the black and white plumage of these birds with a yellow-orange neck is not characteristic of its relatives. Emperor penguins are also larger and heavier than other species, do not build nests, and incubate their eggs in a special fold of skin on the abdomen.

The male emperor penguin reaches a height of 130 cm, its average weight is from 35 to 40 kg, and can reach a maximum of 50 kg. Females reach a height of about 115 cm and weight up to 32 kg. Of all modern penguins, this species is the largest. The color of the plumage of the emperor penguin is black on the back, white in the chest area. Such colors help the bird to remain invisible to predators in the water. The areas under the neck and on the cheeks of the emperor penguin are colored yellow-orange. Newborn chicks are covered with white or grayish down. white color.

The diet of the emperor penguin consists of fish, squid and krill. Birds hunt in the ocean in large groups. Such "organizations" of penguins swim directly into the school of fish and quickly attack their prey in it, they peck at everything they see in front of them. Penguins eat small prey right in the water, but larger ones are captured and brought to the surface, where they are later butchered and eaten. During the hunt, emperor penguins can swim long distances, they move at the same time at a speed of 45-58 km / h and descend to a depth of 500 meters. Penguins can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes. During the hunt, these birds are guided primarily by their eyesight and therefore dive deep only in good light.

bird spread

The main habitat of penguins is Antarctica. They live in colonies of various sizes. The largest colonies of penguins number about 10 thousand individuals, small ones can unite up to 300 birds. The emperor penguin often arranges his life on ice floes and for this goes to the edge of the mainland. But in order to incubate eggs and breed offspring, the birds return together deep into Antarctica. The results of observations and research by scientists show that today there are about 38 penguin colonies. Emperor penguins have their colonies in natural shelters: behind cliffs, large ice floes, but with obligatory access to areas of open water. Birds move lying on their belly, while they work with paws and wings. To keep warm, emperor penguins gather in dense groups, the temperature inside reaches +35 °C, while the ambient temperature is -20 °C. In this case, the penguins now and then move from the edge of the group to its center, and then back. Thus, all birds are in the same conditions. Emperor penguins spend about two months a year at sea, the rest of the time they live on the mainland and are engaged in procreation. The emperor penguin is a very cautious and shy bird. When a potential danger approaches - a predator or a person - a panic begins in the colony, and the birds can scatter, even throwing eggs and chicks.

Common Emperor Penguin Species

In addition to the emperor penguin, the genus includes another species - the king penguin.

Outwardly, the bird is very similar to the emperor penguin, but it is smaller in size and brighter in color. The body length of the king penguin reaches 100 cm. In adult birds, the back is painted gray, the head is blue-black on the sides, and large bright orange spots are located on the breast. The belly is white. Chicks have brown plumage. The king penguin is distributed on the islands of Tierra del Fuego, South Georgia, Prince Edward, the South Sandwich Islands, Crozet, Heard, Kerguelen, Macquarie Islands. The world population is over 1 million pairs.

The only sign of sexual dimorphism in the emperor penguin genus is the smaller size of the female compared to the male. The plumage of individuals of both sexes is the same in color.

Emperor penguins stay off the coast of Antarctica for about 10 months. The first individuals in the nesting places appear at the end of the Antarctic summer (in mid-March or mid-April). Here, birds create pairs, this process is accompanied by loud cries and fights between males. This is how a colony is formed. Her maximum size- up to 10 thousand individuals, the minimum is about 300 birds.

Emperor penguins arrange nesting colonies on coastal ice, less often on the continent. To this end, birds select places with the most favorable microclimate, which are protected from the winds that blow at this time of the year from the middle of the mainland. Such secluded corners are the places of cliffs, glaciers or on uneven ice. But not far from the colony, there should also be cracks, open polynyas, or areas of the sea that are not covered with ice. This is necessary for penguins in order to find food and feed the chicks. During severe frosts, penguins gather in dense groups and help each other to keep warm.

The emperor penguin breeding season falls on May-June, when in their habitats the air temperature drops below -50 ° C, and the wind speed is up to 200 km / h. Such weather conditions Emperor penguin chicks develop slowly.

In late May or early June, the female emperor penguin lays one egg, rolls it on its paws with the help of its beak and covers it with a special fold of skin located on the underside of the abdomen, it is also called the “hatch bag”. Emperor penguin egg weight up to 450 g, size about 12 cm by 9 cm; the average temperature is about 31.4 °C.

A few weeks later, the male, who also has a pouch, begins to incubate the egg. The female, which manages to get hungry during the first time of incubation, goes to the sea to hunt. When the weather worsens, males huddle in dense groups, which consist of 10 birds per 1 m², this helps to save the life of future offspring. 4 to 8% of non-breeding individuals remain in each colony.

The duration of incubation of the egg is on average from 62 to 66 days, occasionally it can reach 100 days. By this time, the females return from hunting and at the same time chicks begin to appear from the eggs. When an egg appears, the male emits loud cries, and the female finds it by voice. Now the males leave the chicks in the care of the females, while they themselves go hunting. During incubation, they lose up to 40% of their weight.

The average weight of a newborn chick is approximately 300 g. If the chick is born before the female returns from the sea, then the father feeds him with "milk", a special juice that is produced in the penguin's stomach and esophagus. On this diet, the chick survives for several days.

Then the females feed the chicks for three weeks with semi-digested food, fish and krill gruel, which they store while traveling by sea, and with the same “milk”. At five weeks old, emperor penguin chicks can no longer fit in their parents' bag and form the so-called "kindergartens". In such groups, they spend time clinging tightly to each other.

Adult penguins continue to protect chicks from attacks birds of prey- petrels and. Parents can distinguish their chick from others and bring food only to him. At this time, the chick eats about 6 kg of fish at a time. The feeding period lasts until December or even January (the height of the Antarctic summer). And by this time the chicks can already swim.

Then the molting period begins. For 30-35 days, young birds do not eat anything, sit without movement and lose weight greatly. After that, both adults and young birds go to sea until the next spring.

The emperor penguin species was discovered during the Bellingshausen expedition (1819-1822).
The scientific name of emperor penguins is translated from Greek as "wingless diver".
When hunting for prey, the emperor penguin can dive to a depth of 500 m, it develops a speed of about 60 km / h, and stays under water for about 15 minutes.
King penguins, whose nesting sites were located in places accessible to people, were killed by sailors in the 18th century. Such extermination of penguins on individual islands continued until the beginning of the 20th century, by which time the number of such colonies had fallen to a critical level. To date, thanks to measures to protect these birds, their numbers in all habitats have been completely restored.
Emperor penguins have few natural enemies, the life expectancy of these birds in nature reaches 25 years. The only predators that attack adult emperor penguins in or near water are killer whales and leopard seals. Emperor penguin chicks on ice floes can become prey for skuas and giant petrels. It is the latter that poses the greatest danger to the chicks - about a third of the emperor penguin chicks die due to its attacks. But for adult birds, giant petrels are not dangerous.

Detachment - penguins

Family - Penguins

Genus/Species - Aptenodytes forsteri

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Emperor Penguin Height: 112 cm.

Emperor penguin weight: 20-40 kg.

BREEDING

Puberty: from 3-6 years old.

Nesting period: usually from March to December.

Carrying: 1 per season.

Number of eggs: 1.

Incubation: 64-100 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: public birds; kept in colonies, which number from 500 to 20,000 pairs.

Food: fish, cuttlefish, crustaceans.

Lifespan: 20 years.

RELATED SPECIES

The closest relative of the emperor penguin is Aptenodytes patogonica. It is smaller than the imperial one, and its plumage is a little brighter.

An emperor penguin waddling or paddling across the ice is a funny sight. However, these birds have perfectly adapted to life in the aquatic environment; here they are unmatched. Due to the slow development of chicks, emperor penguins nest in the midst of the Arctic winter.

ENEMIES AND FOOD

About 150,000 emperor penguins live in Antarctica. In these harsh conditions, only a few animals can survive, so the penguins have few enemies. In the sea or near the coast, only killer whales are dangerous for adult penguins. They are hunted by skuas on pack ice floes, but they are dangerous primarily for chicks. About 3/4 of chicks die from skuas attacks. Skuas attack mainly single chicks, so the formation of a kind of "crèche" reduces the number of dead babies. Adult penguins feed on crustaceans, marine fish and cephalopods.

WHERE THE EMPEROR PENGUIN LIVES

Emperor penguins live on ice packs off the coast of Antarctica and nearby seas. Slowness, ceremony, majesty, these birds justify their name. However, they do not live in imperial conditions at all. Penguins not only constantly live in the very harsh conditions of the Antarctic, but also take their children out in the most difficult time of the year - in winter. The upper part of the body of emperor penguins is dark, and the lower part is white. There are orange spots on the top of the neck. Chicks are covered with long white or grayish down.

BREEDING

The nesting period for penguins starts in March and lasts 10 months. Scientists divide the stay of penguins on land into 6 stages. The first stage is the formation of a colony, when the penguins break into pairs. If the couple already existed last year, the spouses look for each other, and if the couple has not yet formed, the male looks for the female. He wanders among the pack and from time to time shouts loudly. The female responds to his voice, and the acquaintance, and then the “matchmaking”, will take place here. The second stage is oviposition and incubation. The female emperor penguin lays one large egg. After a few hours, the females pass the eggs to the males, and they themselves go to sea to feed. Males continue their hunger strike and faithfully incubate their eggs - about 64-100 days. In case of bad weather, they are going to bask together. The third stage is the return of females, leaving for feeding males and hatching of chicks. Females find males by voice and take eggs or hatched chicks under their care. If the chick hatches before the appearance of the female, the male feeds him with "milk" (the secret of a special gland). The female, returning, gives him gruel of krill and fish. The fourth stage is feeding the chicks. The fifth stage is the time of molting. It lasts up to 35 days. In mid-December, the colony breaks up, and the penguins go to sea - this is the sixth stage.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

To get to their Antarctic "pastures", they have to walk up to 320 km through snowdrifts on snowy and icy rocks. When the sun is shining, they confidently follow their route, and on cloudy days they sometimes go astray. Emperor penguins are the symbol of Antarctica. Bird height up to 120 cm, weight 40-50 kg. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim and dive very well with the help of wings that have turned into flippers. Their legs are a kind of steering wheel and brake. They feed on fish, crustaceans, molluscs. They live in colonies. On land, they move "waddling", but quite dexterously. Under the skin, penguins have a large layer of fat that protects birds from the cold. In strong winds, they huddle together: together it’s not so cold. In winter, the female emperor penguin lays one egg weighing 450 g. After that, the female goes to feed in the sea. Now the male takes over. He puts the egg on his paws and covers it with a special bag - a fold of skin so that it does not freeze. A newborn baby first basks on his father's paws, and then is brought up in a "nursery" along with neighboring chicks.

DEVICE FEATURES

Nature has provided the emperor penguin with reliable means to survive in the harsh conditions of Antarctica. Warm plumage plays a significant role in this. The penguin has a dense feather cover of the body - about a dozen feathers grow per 1 cm 2. Short and hard, with fluffy down at the base, the feathers overlap very closely and form an insulating airy layer. The body shape of the emperor penguin is also a kind of adaptation that accumulates heat, since the surface area of \u200b\u200bthe body, compared with growth, is small. In addition, there is a thick layer of fat under the skin. In the tear-nasal ducts, he also has developed a special heat exchange system, due to which he loses a small amount of heat when he exhales. The fore and hind limbs of the emperor penguin retain heat as much as possible. In addition, the emperor penguin has a developed mechanism for social thermoregulation.

The emperor penguin dives to a depth of 265 meters and spends 18 minutes underwater - a record among waterfowl.
Male penguins do not feed during nesting from mid-March to June or July.
Unlike, which has a certain area and protects it from its fellow tribesmen, the emperor penguin has low intraspecific aggressiveness.
Emperor penguins have a developed instinct for social thermoregulation. In harsh times, birds huddle in close groups, forming the so-called "turtle".
Emperor penguins are avid travelers. Some penguins create colonies at a distance of about 300 km from the coast.

THE UNDERWATER LIFE OF THE EMPEROR PENGUIN

The penguin does not know how to fly, it also moves clumsily on land. His element is water. In pursuit of prey, thanks to the torpedo-like body, the penguin moves freely in the water column.

With vigorous beats of wings, which are shaped like oars of a kayak, the emperor penguin moves under water, while its legs and tail serve as a rudder.

WHERE Dwells

The emperor penguin is the most Antarctic bird species; around the Antarctic coast there are about 20 large colonies.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The penguin lives in harsh climates; he has only one enemy - a sea leopard. Despite the fact that today the number of these birds is about 150,000, their numbers are affected by pollution in Antarctica.