Why do penguins move in groups?
11 months ago

Why do penguins move in groups?

The Hindu  

Penguins, as we all know, are large, flightless birds. Standing tall with black and white plumage, these penguins have delicate golden patches adorning their chest and a dense double layer of feathers – about 70 feathers per square inch. While their physical structure and feathers act as a shield against the cold, these penguins’ ability to withstand the storming Antarctic cold makes them a fascinating study. Fascinating behaviour When temperature dips as low as - 50 degrees Celsius, Emperor penguins pack themselves into large groups. While huddling, penguins move very slowly, taking tiny steps, as much as 5-10 cm every 30 to 60 seconds.

Penguins  emperor  feathers  heat  huddles  penguins  huddling  degrees  movement  groups  large  weather

History of this topic

Warming decimates Antarctica’s emperor penguin chicks
1 year, 7 months ago

Warming decimates Antarctica’s emperor penguin chicks

Al Jazeera  

Of five sites monitored in the Bellingshausen Sea region, four experienced a 100 percent loss of chicks, scientists say. Helpless emperor penguin chicks perished at multiple breeding grounds in West Antarctica late last year, drowning or freezing to death when sea ice eroded by global warming gave way under their tiny feet, scientists have said. “This is the first major …

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF EMPEROR PENGUINS?
6 years, 11 months ago

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF EMPEROR PENGUINS?

Daily Mail  

The Emperor penguin is the largest species of penguin, reaching heights of around four feet tall, and weighing between 49 pounds and 99 pounds. Emperor penguins breed and raise their young almost exclusively on sea ice, with the females laying eggs before heading off to hunt for food, leaving the males to incubate the egg. If there's too little sea …

Emperor penguins get so hot in their huddles they EAT snow to cool down
9 years, 3 months ago

Emperor penguins get so hot in their huddles they EAT snow to cool down

Daily Mail  

You might think penguins would only just be warm enough when huddled together to survive the harsh winds of an Antarctic storm. But now researchers have found some Emperor penguins get so hot in the tight bundle of bodies that they have to eat snow to cool down. But now researchers have found some Emperor penguins get so hot in …

Emperor Penguins Forced To Climb Cliffs To Breed As Climate Change Causes Sea Ice To Melt
11 years, 2 months ago

Emperor Penguins Forced To Climb Cliffs To Breed As Climate Change Causes Sea Ice To Melt

Huff Post  

The new behavior – described this week in the journal PLoS One – was observed in four of the 46 known emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica. These birds normally "tend to breed on the sea ice because it gives them relatively easy access to waters where they hunt for food," lead research Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey said …

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