The Largest Penguin

Emperor Penguins have recently been featured in two full length films. Both March of the Penguins and the animated  Happy Feet depicted their harsh living conditions, and the threats currently facing these appealing birds.

Emperors are the tallest and heaviest of all penguin species, and are found only on Antarctica. They are best known for the sequence of journeys adults make each year in order to mate and feed their offspring.

The only penguins that breed during the Antarctic winter, they trek 50–120 km (31–75 mi) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to forage; parents take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony.

Emperor Penguins breed in the coldest environment of any bird species; air temperatures may reach −40 °C (−40 °F), and wind speeds may reach 144 km/h (89 mph). Water temperature is a frigid −1.8 °C (28.8 °F),which is much lower than their average body temperature of 39 °C (102 °F).

These birds have adapted in several ways to counteract heat loss. Feathers provide 80–90% of their insulation, and they have a layer of fat which may be up to 3 cm (1.2 in) thick before breeding. 

The stiff feathers are short, spear-shaped, and densely packed over the entire skin surface. With around 100 feathers covering 6.5 sq cm (1 sq in), they have the highest feather density of any bird species.

An extra layer of insulation is formed by separate shafts of downy filaments between feathers and skin. Muscles allow the feathers to be held erect on land, reducing heat loss by trapping a layer of air next to the skin.

The plumage is flattened in water, thus waterproofing the skin and the downy underlayer. Preening is vital in facilitating insulation and in keeping the plumage oily and water-repellent

These penguins are currently under consideration for inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act. The primary reasons are declining food availability due to  climate change and industrial fisheries. Other reasons for their potential placement include disease, habitat destruction, and disturbance at breeding colonies, particularly the impact of tourism.

One study has shown chicks in a créche become apprehensive following helicopter approaches to 1,000 m (3,281 ft).