Emperor Penguin

Emperor Penguin Latest News

Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has uplisted Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) to Endangered category.

About Emperor Penguin

• Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest penguin alive today.
• They evolved about one million years ago, and are highly adapted to life in one of Earth’s harshest environments.
• Distribution: They are found throughout the Antarctic continent and sub-Antarctic islands.
• Habitat: It is the most ice-adapted of any penguin species, inhabiting pack ice and surrounding marine areas. They spend their entire lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters.

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Features of Emperor Penguins

• It is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.
• Adults are coloured black and white with areas of orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast. 
• They gain and lose weight rapidly during breeding and feeding seasons.
• They have two layers of feathers, a good reserve of fat, and proportionally smaller beaks and flippers than other penguins to prevent heat loss.
• They also huddle close together in large groups to keep themselves and each other warm.
• They are capable of diving to depths of approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) in search of food; they are the world’s deepest-diving birds.
• Diet: It is a carnivore (piscivore and molluscivore), feeding exclusively upon aquatic animals.
• Breeding: In breeding months (April to November), emperor penguin colonies are found between 66° and 78° south latitude along the Antarctic coastline.
• Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Endangered

Source: DTE