Penguins

What do you think of when you picture a penguin? Most likely a waddling bird in a tuxedo like coat swimming in the water of the artic. Interestingly enough some penguins actually look for a snow free environment to breed and raise a family.   As most people around the world, you probably think to yourself with an aww or a sigh, perhaps relate to a movie or book you’ve seen recently involving penguins. Today I would like to inform you a little about the behavior, habitat, and types of penguins around the world.
Let’s start with the types of penguins. They are many different species of penguins. According to seaword.org there are 17 different species of penguins, divided into various groups. There are large, brush tailed, crested, large diver and little penguins. Let me tell you a little more about these types of penguins. The Emperor and King penguins are the most known penguins. They stand at about 35-45 inches and weigh 60-90 pounds. The emperor penguin has a black head, chin, and throat, with broad yellow patches on each side of the head. The king penguin has a black head, chin, and throat, with vivid orange, tear-shaped patches on each side of the head. The orange coloration extends to the upper chest. In the movie Happy Feet, these are the types of penguins you see.   Within the brush tailed family, you see the adelie and Gentoo penguins. They stand at 18-35 inches and weigh 8-15 pounds. Think of Mr. Poppers Penguins.   The Adélie has a black head. Distinctive white eye rings appear during the breeding season. The gentoo has a black head with white eyelids, and a distinct triangular white patch above each eye, usually extending over the head. In the crested family, you have the rockhopper and macaroni penguin. They are 18-28’ tall and 9-13 pounds. They are distinguished by orange or yellow feather crests on the sides of the head, above the eyes. The yellow-eyed penguin is the only penguin in the large diver family at 21’ tall and weighing 13 pounds. The...