The species near the Bulgarian Antarctic Base
A penguin is a water bird that can't fly. It has webbed feet and wings that look like flippers. It uses its wings flippers for underwater swimming. Many penguins live in the icy waters in or near Antarctica.
The Penguins are a type of flightless bird that spends most of its life in the sea. They seldom visit land except to raise their young. Penguins have short legs and tall, torpedo-shaped bodies. On land they are able to stand upright, and because of their stature, they walk with a waddle. They may appear awkward, but penguins actually walk about as fast as people. They also climb rocky shores by hopping from rock to rock. Some penguins travel over ice and snow by 'tobogganing' - sliding on their bellies. But penguins travel best by swimming, hour after hour. Penguins swim below the surface, and they leap above the surface for a quick breath of air.
They also dive much deeper than any other bird. Some species are able to reach nearly 900 feet (275 meters) below the surface. Those deep divers can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.
There are 17 species of penguins, ranging in size from the largest emperor penguin to the diminutive fairy penguin. The emperor penguin can grow to almost 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and may weigh up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms). The fairy penguin, also called the little penguin, stands about 1 foot (30 centimeters) tall and usually weighs about 11/2 pounds (3.3 kilograms).
Penguins will not cross warm ocean water; therefore, they are all found in nature south of the equator. The Galapagos penguin lives the farthest north, near the equator in the cold waters around the islands of the same name. Eight other species of penguins make their home among the islands near New Zealand and Australia. Three species inhabit the coast of South America, and one type lives near southern Africa. Six species live far to the south, in the icy waters near Antarctica.
The Penguins are a type of flightless bird that spends most of its life in the sea. They seldom visit land except to raise their young. Penguins have short legs and tall, torpedo-shaped bodies. On land they are able to stand upright, and because of their stature, they walk with a waddle. They may appear awkward, but penguins actually walk about as fast as people. They also climb rocky shores by hopping from rock to rock. Some penguins travel over ice and snow by 'tobogganing' - sliding on their bellies. But penguins travel best by swimming, hour after hour. Penguins swim below the surface, and they leap above the surface for a quick breath of air.
They also dive much deeper than any other bird. Some species are able to reach nearly 900 feet (275 meters) below the surface. Those deep divers can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.
There are 17 species of penguins, ranging in size from the largest emperor penguin to the diminutive fairy penguin. The emperor penguin can grow to almost 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and may weigh up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms). The fairy penguin, also called the little penguin, stands about 1 foot (30 centimeters) tall and usually weighs about 11/2 pounds (3.3 kilograms).
Penguins will not cross warm ocean water; therefore, they are all found in nature south of the equator. The Galapagos penguin lives the farthest north, near the equator in the cold waters around the islands of the same name. Eight other species of penguins make their home among the islands near New Zealand and Australia. Three species inhabit the coast of South America, and one type lives near southern Africa. Six species live far to the south, in the icy waters near Antarctica.
