Birds in Tuxedos – 15 Facts about Cute and Funny Penguins

“I appeared in the movie Madagascar but I’m not a zebra

I have wings, but I’m not an airplane

I'm usually black and white, but I'm not a newspaper

I eat fish, but I’m not a whale

I lay eggs but I’m not a chicken

What Am I”?

Ok, after these riddles the answer is clear – the mighty penguin!

So if you want to learn more about “Rico, Private, Skipper and Kowalski” species, here is the list of 15 facts about those flightless birds that you will find very interesting to read.

The Gentoo Penguin is one of the most fastest underwater swimming birds – his speed is 36 kilometers per hour. 

1 / 15

According to “cheating rules of penguins”, there are two types of penguins – those who cheat their partners and those who not (almost like humans). Actually, researches found out that some penguins mate with new partners, although the old ones are in the same colony and still alive.

2 / 15

If he is not captured, penguin lives about 15 to 20 years. During his lifetime, he spends about 75% of his time in the water.

3 / 15

Yellow-eyed Penguin, who lives along the southeastern coast of New Zealand, is one of the rarest penguins in the world. There are only 5,000 of them in the wild.

4 / 15

“And Tango Makes Three” is a children’s book from 2005 that found its place in the 15 Most Controversial Picture Books because it is based on a true story about a homosexual Chinstrap Penguin couple in New York’s Central Park Zoo.  

5 / 15

If you wonder where most penguins live, the answer is – Antarctica, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Chile.

6 / 15

Movie Happy Feet is all about the Emperor Penguins, who are also the main characters. Also, more than 30 states featured them on their stamps.

7 / 15

Actually penguins can drink salt water. Why? Because they have some special gland that filter salt from the bloodstream.

8 / 15

The Waimanu Manneringi present the oldest known penguin fossil. Discovered in Antarctica in 1980, it dates from about 60 million years ago. The name comes from the Maori term for “water bird”.

9 / 15

How penguins attract a mate? Well, depends on the species. For example, Gentoo Penguin males give their females gifts like stones or pebbles. On the other side, King Penguins sing songs with their loved ones. So romantic!

10 / 15

The Emperor Penguin is the only penguin that breeds during the Antarctic winter. The others breed during the spring or summer. Depending on the species, egg incubation varies from 30 to 67 days.

11 / 15

The body temperature of a normal, healthy penguin is 38° C

12 / 15

If you ever wonder are the penguins social birds, the answer is – yes. They actually feed and swim in groups, even at sea. For example, some colonies in Antarctica are very large and contain more than 20 million penguins at different times during one year.

13 / 15

Penguins usually eat fish and squid so the sea is their main source of food. Shrimp, crabs or crustaceans are also on their menu. If you ever wonder how much one large penguin collect fish in one dive, the answer is 30.

14 / 15

According to scientist, there are 17 species of penguins and 13 of them are either threatened or endangered, with some on the brink of extinction.

15 / 15

Image sources:

1. bit.ly/2adeAjT
2. bit.ly/2adeWau
3. bit.ly/2avu02x
4. bit.ly/2a81ByW
5. bit.ly/29Y9fia
6. bit.ly/2asqzLH
7. bit.ly/2ajVHNE
8. bit.ly/2avhB1x
9. bit.ly/2ajX5zF
10. bit.ly/2a9VvCj
11. bit.ly/20ltkml
12. bit.ly/2adhXaw
13. bit.ly/2aIJAXR
14. bit.ly/2avizuj
15. bit.ly/2ak1ym4

​Author: Ana V.