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The big facts page

156 penguin facts, all checked

Every fact on this site, in one place, each linked to its source. Figures that can change carry the date we checked them (27 Oct 2026). Where sources disagree we give every figure: see when sources disagree.

Jump to: Penguins in general | Bodies, swimming and senses | The species | Red List and conservation status | Populations | Life cycle | Where they live | Food | Threats | History

Penguins in general

  1. 1 The Australian Antarctic Division counts 18 species of penguins. 5 of them live in Antarctica, and another 4 live on sub-Antarctic islands. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  2. 2 The Smithsonian says there is still debate over the number of species, but it’s generally agreed there are between 17 and 19, split into six genera. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  3. 3 Penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. The biggest numbers are on Antarctic coasts and sub-Antarctic islands. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins
  4. 4 Penguins are flightless birds, highly adapted for life in the sea: excellent swimmers that can dive to great depths. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins
  5. 5 Penguins spend up to 75 percent of their lives in the water. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  6. 6 Penguins are Southern Hemisphere birds, though people often confuse them with the black-and-white puffins of the north. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  7. 7 Penguins feed on small fish and krill, which they catch one at a time. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins
  8. 8 Penguin diets are mainly krill, squid and fish. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  9. 9 Their main predators are leopard seals and killer whales. Skuas and sheathbills eat penguin eggs and chicks. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins
  10. 10 Yes, penguins can sneeze! The Australian Antarctic Division has filmed an emperor penguin doing it. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin

Bodies, swimming and senses

  1. 11 Penguins use their feet and tail as a rudder, and push themselves along with their flippers. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins
  2. 12 Penguins have a waterproof coat of short, overlapping feathers and a thick layer of fat for insulation. Australian Antarctic Division: Penguins
  3. 13 The Smithsonian says the fastest penguin, the emperor, can reach 9 mph (14 km/h) in a hurry, though it prefers a steady 7 mph. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  4. 14 Britannica says gentoo penguins are the world’s fastest underwater birds, reaching up to 36 km (about 22 miles) an hour. Britannica: Penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  5. 15 Most midsize penguins swim at around 5 mph (8 km/h), and the little penguin pootles along at about 1 mph (1.5 km/h). Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  6. 16 New Zealand’s Department of Conservation says little penguins ‘fly’ through the water at up to 6 km/h. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  7. 17 Travelling penguins often ‘porpoise’: a series of shallow leaps across the surface, named after the way porpoises swim. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  8. 18 On average, penguins dive to between 9 and 18 m (30 to 60 feet). Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  9. 19 King penguins frequently dive to 91 m (300 feet). Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  10. 20 Emperor penguins mostly hunt 150 to 250 metres down. The Australian Antarctic Division gives the deepest recorded dive as 565 metres. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  11. 21 The Smithsonian says emperor penguins can reach depths of around 518 m (1,700 feet). Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  12. 22 Britannica says emperors can dive to about 550 metres (1,800 feet), which makes them Earth’s deepest-diving birds. Britannica: Penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  13. 23 Emperor dives usually last 3 to 6 minutes. The Australian Antarctic Division gives the longest on record as 22 minutes. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  14. 24 The Smithsonian reports a 2018 study that measured an emperor penguin diving for over 32 minutes, the longest bird dive recorded. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  15. 25 The black-and-white ‘tuxedo’ is camouflage called countershading. From below, a white belly blends with the bright surface; from above, a black back looks like the dark deep. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  16. 26 Penguins drink seawater with their food. Salt glands above the eyes filter it out, and a quick ‘sneeze’ and shake gets rid of the salt. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  17. 27 Penguins look after their feathers carefully, often preening for three hours a day, spreading waterproof oil from a gland at the base of the tail. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  18. 28 All penguins keep a body temperature of around 38 °C, but they live anywhere from 32 °C on the Patagonian coast to −60 °C on Antarctic sea ice. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  19. 29 Penguin eyes are tuned towards violet, blue and green, and away from red, a colour that quickly disappears underwater. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  20. 30 Emperor and king penguin beaks reflect ultraviolet light, the only sea birds known to do so. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  21. 31 Penguins can probably only taste salty and sour. A study found they lack the genes for sweet, bitter and umami tastes. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  22. 32 Every year a penguin replaces all its feathers, worn out by sun, sea salt and weather. This is the moult. Australian Antarctic Division: Unusual penguins
  23. 33 The yellow pigments in penguin feathers are unique to penguins. Australian Antarctic Division: Unusual penguins
  24. 34 Some penguins are completely white but have dark beaks and eyes. These rare birds are called ‘leucistic’, from the Greek ‘leucos’, white. Australian Antarctic Division: Unusual penguins
  25. 35 Some fiordland and rockhopper penguins have been found with barnacles growing on their feathers! Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  26. 36 Even when asleep, king penguins could tell the difference between the sounds of predators and harmless sounds in one study. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  27. 37 The IUCN Red List entry for the emperor penguin gives its lower depth limit as 560 metres. IUCN Red List: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026

The species

  1. 38 The emperor is the largest penguin. The Australian Antarctic Division says adults can weigh up to 40 kg at the start of the breeding season. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  2. 39 The Smithsonian says the emperor stands 4 foot 5 inches (1.35 metres) tall, and gives its maximum size as 51 inches (130 cm) and 88 pounds (40 kg). Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  3. 40 Britannica gives the emperor as 115 cm (45 inches) tall and 25 to 40 kg. Britannica: Penguin
  4. 41 WWF-UK says emperors stand around 110–130 cm tall, and weigh 23–45 kg depending on the time of year. WWF-UK: Emperor penguins
  5. 42 The Department of Conservation calls the little penguin the world’s smallest penguin: just over 25 cm and about 1 kg. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  6. 43 The Smithsonian puts the little (or fairy) penguin at about a foot tall (0.33 m) in one place, and 12 inches (24 cm) in its species notes. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  7. 44 Britannica gives the blue, or fairy, penguin as about 35 cm tall and about 1 kg. Britannica: Penguin
  8. 45 The little penguin used to be called the little blue penguin. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  9. 46 Kings were once thought to be the largest penguins. Only in 1844 did George Robert Gray of the British Museum separate them from the even larger emperor. Their genus name, Aptenodytes, means ‘featherless diver’. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin
  10. 47 King penguins stand 85–95 cm tall. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin
  11. 48 The emperor’s closest relatives are king penguins. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  12. 49 Adélie penguins are named after Adélie Land in Antarctica, which the explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville named after his wife, Adéle. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  13. 50 Adélie penguins weigh 3 to 6 kg and stand 70 cm tall. Look for the white ring around the eye. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  14. 51 Gentoo penguins have a bright red-orange bill and white eye patches. They are the third largest penguin species alive, at 5–8 kg. Australian Antarctic Division: Gentoo penguin
  15. 52 Chinstrap penguins are named for the narrow band of black feathers that runs from ear to ear just below the chin. They weigh 3.5 to 5.5 kg. Australian Antarctic Division: Chinstrap penguin
  16. 53 The macaroni penguin’s scientific name means ‘good diver’ (Eudyptes) ‘with a golden crest’ (chrysolophus). Australian Antarctic Division: Macaroni penguin
  17. 54 Royal penguins look like macaroni penguins but are up to 20% larger, with white to pale grey faces instead of black. Australian Antarctic Division: Royal penguin
  18. 55 Southern rockhopper penguins are the smallest of the crested penguins, weighing only 2 kg to 3.8 kg. Australian Antarctic Division: Southern rockhopper penguin
  19. 56 Rockhopper penguins are the only species to jump feet first into the water when they dive. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  20. 57 The Māori name for the yellow-eyed penguin, hoiho, means ‘noise shouter’, after its shrill call. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho
  21. 58 The hoiho is found only in New Zealand and is thought to be one of the world’s rarest penguins. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho
  22. 59 Galápagos penguins are the most northerly penguins, living on the Galápagos Islands on the equator. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  23. 60 The Humboldt penguin lives on the shores of the Atacama Desert in Chile and Peru, the driest desert in the world. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  24. 61 The Smithsonian calls macaroni penguins the most abundant of all penguins. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  25. 62 Thirteen of the world’s 18 penguin species have been recorded in the New Zealand region, and nine of them breed there. NZ Department of Conservation: Penguins

Red List and conservation status

  1. 63 Emperor penguin: Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2019). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  2. 64 King penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: increasing. IUCN Red List: King penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  3. 65 Adélie penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: increasing. IUCN Red List: Adélie penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  4. 66 Gentoo penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2019). Population trend: stable. IUCN Red List: Gentoo penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  5. 67 Chinstrap penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Chinstrap penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  6. 68 Macaroni penguin: Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Macaroni penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  7. 69 Royal penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2021). Population trend: unknown. IUCN Red List: Royal penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  8. 70 Southern rockhopper penguin: Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Southern rockhopper penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  9. 71 Fiordland penguin: Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Fiordland penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  10. 72 Snares penguin: Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2018). Population trend: stable. IUCN Red List: Snares penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  11. 73 Erect-crested penguin: Endangered on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Erect-crested penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  12. 74 Yellow-eyed penguin: Endangered on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Yellow-eyed penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  13. 75 Little penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: stable. IUCN Red List: Little penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  14. 76 African penguin: Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2024). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: African penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  15. 77 Humboldt penguin: Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Humboldt penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  16. 78 Magellanic penguin: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Magellanic penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  17. 79 Galápagos penguin: Endangered on the IUCN Red List (last assessed 2020). Population trend: decreasing. IUCN Red List: Galápagos penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  18. 80 Northern rockhopper penguin: Endangered on the IUCN Red List (BirdLife’s factsheet gives 2020 as the last assessment). Population trend: decreasing. BirdLife International: Northern rockhopper penguin factsheet · checked 27 Oct 2026
  19. 81 The Australian Antarctic Division’s emperor penguin page gives its conservation status as endangered, and expects a moderately rapid decline over the next three generations because of climate change. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  20. 82 The Australian Antarctic Division’s royal penguin page gives its conservation status as near threatened. Australian Antarctic Division: Royal penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  21. 83 A Britannica picture caption calls the royal penguin vulnerable because its breeding area is so small. Britannica: Penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  22. 84 National Geographic’s emperor penguin page lists it as Near Threatened with a current population trend of ‘stable’. National Geographic: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  23. 85 The Smithsonian notes that, as of 2024, the IUCN lists the African penguin as critically endangered. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  24. 86 In New Zealand’s own threat system, the hoiho is ‘Threatened–Nationally Endangered’, with 4,000–5,000 mature individuals in 2019. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho · checked 27 Oct 2026
  25. 87 In New Zealand, the little penguin’s status is ‘At Risk–Declining’. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā · checked 27 Oct 2026

Populations

  1. 88 There are approximately 1.6 million breeding pairs of king penguins. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  2. 89 The gentoo’s total breeding population is approximately 387,000 pairs. Australian Antarctic Division: Gentoo penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  3. 90 Macaroni penguin breeding pairs were estimated at 6.3 million in 2013, a rapid decline from previous decades. Australian Antarctic Division: Macaroni penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  4. 91 The largest royal penguin colony, at Hurd Point on Macquarie Island, has around 500,000 pairs. Australian Antarctic Division: Royal penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  5. 92 Around the Windmill Islands, Adélie penguins grew from 30,000 breeding pairs in the 1950s to nearly 200,000. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  6. 93 WWF-UK says there are around 595,000 adult emperor penguins in the wild, in 66 colonies around the coast of Antarctica. WWF-UK: Emperor penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  7. 94 Emperor colonies range from a few hundred to over 20,000 pairs. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin · checked 27 Oct 2026
  8. 95 BirdLife International gives the northern rockhopper’s population as 413,700 mature individuals. BirdLife International: Northern rockhopper penguin factsheet · checked 27 Oct 2026
  9. 96 The northern population of hoiho fell from about 741 breeding pairs in 1999 to 265 in 2019, a 65% fall in 20 years. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho · checked 27 Oct 2026
  10. 97 The Smithsonian says there are below 200,000 African penguins, compared with 1.4 million at the start of the twentieth century. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026

Life cycle

  1. 98 Emperor penguins don’t just survive the Antarctic winter: they breed in it, during the worst weather on Earth. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  2. 99 Emperor parents share chick-rearing, but only the males incubate the egg. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  3. 100 The British Antarctic Survey says the male emperor incubates the single egg for 9 weeks without eating, living off a thick fat reserve. British Antarctic Survey: Penguins
  4. 101 The Smithsonian says the male emperor incubates the egg for roughly 64 days in the dead of winter, huddled with other males while the females feed. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  5. 102 Britannica says the female emperor must often walk 80 to 160 km (50 to 100 miles) from the colony to the sea. Britannica: Penguin
  6. 103 On very cold days, as many as 10 emperors pack into every square metre of a huddle. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  7. 104 Huddling cuts heat loss by as much as 50%, and the temperature inside a huddle can reach +24 °C. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  8. 105 Huddles slowly move downwind as birds take turns. In a 48-hour blizzard, a huddle may shift as much as 200 metres. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  9. 106 Emperor colonies face blizzards of up to 200 km/h. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  10. 107 The emperor is the only penguin species that is not territorial. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  11. 108 An emperor chick needs about 42 kg of food from each parent. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  12. 109 King penguins don’t build a nest: they incubate the egg on their feet, for about 54 days. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin
  13. 110 King penguins have a longer breeding cycle than any other penguin: 13 to 16 months, including the pre-moult period. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin
  14. 111 Adélie penguins need ice-free land with lots of pebbles to build their nests. By mid-November there are 2 eggs in the nest. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  15. 112 Gentoo penguins lay two eggs, incubated for 34–37 days. Chicks start to gather in crèches at about 26 days old and fledge at 80–90 days. Australian Antarctic Division: Gentoo penguin
  16. 113 Macaroni penguins lay two eggs, but the second is bigger and is usually the only one that hatches. Australian Antarctic Division: Macaroni penguin
  17. 114 When both parents are away feeding, older chicks huddle together in groups called crèches. Parents find their own chick by its call. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  18. 115 Most penguins share egg incubations of between 33 and 56 days, depending on the species. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  19. 116 A chick breaks out of its egg using an egg tooth, a sharp bump on the top of the bill. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  20. 117 Adélie penguins spend winter in the pack ice, coming to the coast in summer for a brief, intense breeding season. British Antarctic Survey: Penguins
  21. 118 During the moult, a hoiho must sit ashore for 25 days to grow new feathers, and can’t go to sea to feed. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho
  22. 119 Little penguins may waddle up to 1.5 km from the sea, and climb 300 m, to find the perfect nest site. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  23. 120 Little penguins are rarely seen on land, and usually only come ashore after dark. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  24. 121 The Australian Antarctic Division says some emperors live to more than 40 years, though most don’t live that long in the wild. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  25. 122 National Geographic gives the emperor’s average life span in the wild as 15 to 20 years. National Geographic: Emperor penguin
  26. 123 Adélie penguins have a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  27. 124 Chinstrap penguins can live to be 16 to 20 years old. Australian Antarctic Division: Chinstrap penguin

Where they live

  1. 125 Only five penguin species live on the Antarctic continent: Adélie, emperor, gentoo, chinstrap and macaroni penguins. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  2. 126 The Smithsonian says only five penguin species ever set foot on the Antarctic continent, and only two, the Adélie and the emperor, live there exclusively. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  3. 127 The British Antarctic Survey counts 6 major Antarctic species, but says only two, the emperor and the Adélie, are truly native to the continent. Macaroni, chinstrap, gentoo and king penguins live on the warmer sub-Antarctic islands. British Antarctic Survey: Penguins
  4. 128 King penguins breed on many sub-Antarctic islands between 45° and 55° south. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin
  5. 129 Royal penguins are endemic to Macquarie Island, where the vast majority live, and the nearby Bishop and Clerk Islets, where about 1,000 pairs breed. Australian Antarctic Division: Royal penguin
  6. 130 There are two populations of hoiho: one on the South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura, and one on the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho
  7. 131 New Zealand has more penguin species on its shores than any other country. NZ Department of Conservation: Penguins
  8. 132 Tracking shows Adélie penguins can swim more than 1,200 km away from their breeding site. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  9. 133 Adélie penguins walk on ice at about 2.5 km/h and swim at 4 to 8 km/h. They can also toboggan along on their bellies. Australian Antarctic Division: Adélie penguin
  10. 134 Emperors’ layered feathers are so good that it takes winds of over 60 knots (about 110 km/h) to ruffle them. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin

Food

  1. 135 One of the emperor’s most frequently eaten foods is the Antarctic silverfish. They also eat other fish, Antarctic krill and squid. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  2. 136 An adult emperor eats 2–3 kg a day, and up to 6 kg a day when fattening up before a moult or breeding. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  3. 137 King penguins mainly eat lantern fish, especially during the breeding season. Australian Antarctic Division: King penguin
  4. 138 Chinstrap penguins mainly eat krill and fish, and usually feed less than 40 metres down. Australian Antarctic Division: Chinstrap penguin
  5. 139 Studies of African, Humboldt and chinstrap penguins suggest some penguins can find prey by smell, such as chemicals released by feeding krill. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins

Threats

  1. 140 Recent evidence suggests chinstrap numbers are falling significantly because of reductions in krill, their main food. Australian Antarctic Division: Chinstrap penguin
  2. 141 WWF-UK says the biggest threat to emperors right now is climate change, through changes in the sea ice they depend on. WWF-UK: Emperor penguins
  3. 142 WWF-UK reports studies showing that, if current emissions continue, emperor numbers could crash by about 50% by 2080. WWF-UK: Emperor penguins · checked 27 Oct 2026
  4. 143 Emperor penguins rely on sea ice for almost nine months of the year, to breed and raise their young. WWF-UK: Emperor penguins
  5. 144 Dogs are likely the greatest threat to little penguins in New Zealand. Cats, ferrets and stoats also kill them. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  6. 145 Hoiho face disease, predators, starvation, set nets, dog attacks and climate-driven changes in their food. NZ Department of Conservation: Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho
  7. 146 New Zealand’s advice: leave penguins alone (scruffy birds are usually just moulting) and keep dogs on a lead near penguin areas. NZ Department of Conservation: Little penguin/kororā
  8. 147 On Middle Island in Australia, Maremma dogs guard little penguins from foxes, a story told in the film Oddball. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  9. 148 Chinstrap penguins that live south of 60° South are protected under the Antarctic Treaty System. Australian Antarctic Division: Chinstrap penguin

History

  1. 149 The first penguins evolved roughly 60 million years ago, around 50° south, close to where New Zealand is now. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  2. 150 Around 66 million years ago, penguins of the genus Waimanu lived in the waters off New Zealand. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  3. 151 The heaviest known penguin, Kumimanu fordycei, weighed roughly 350 pounds (about 160 kg): about the size of a small bear. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  4. 152 The tallest giant penguin, Palaeeudyptes klekowskii, lived about 37 million years ago and measured 2 metres from beak tip to toe. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  5. 153 Millions of years ago there were roughly 40 penguin species, more than twice as many as today. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  6. 154 The Australian Antarctic Division says some extinct penguins were even bigger than emperors, weighing perhaps 100 kg. Australian Antarctic Division: Emperor penguin
  7. 155 The great auk was the first bird to be called a penguin, but it wasn’t related to modern penguins: it was an auk, like puffins. Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins
  8. 156 The word penguin may come from the Welsh ‘pen’ and ‘gwyn’ (white head). Smithsonian Ocean: Penguins