Facts About Penguins

Giant Kairuku Penguin reconstructed in New Zealand from fossils

A 25 million year old extinct species of penguin has been reconstructed using fossilised remains found in New Zealand.
The BBC has reported that the giant Kairuku penguin stood approximately 1.2m tall (4ft 2in) and had an elongated beak, slender body and long flippers, giving it an appearance distinct from any known penguin species alive today.

According to Dr Dan Ksepka from North Carolina State University, the New Zealand of 25 million years ago provided the perfect habitat for penguins as it provided both food and safety, with lots of isolated, rocky masses of land which would have protected them from predators.

The name Kairuku derives from a Maori word meaning 'diver who returns with food'.

Although very large by todays standards, the largest extinct species of Penguin ever discovered came from mdoern day Peru. At least two species discovered there reached 5ft tall!

Read more about the Kairuku on the BBC website

For those of you interested in learning more about fossils, Usborne Naturetrail: Rocks and Fossils comes highly recommended. Buy it here from Amazon for only £5.11

Did you know...?

Penguins eyes work better in the water than they do on land? Over millions of years their eyes have become evolved to function better in the blue-green murkiness of the ocean so that they can spot prey more easily, and perhaps just as importantly - predators.

Penguins are highly sociable animals and the form colonies often number tens of thousands! Adélie penguins often have colonies number close to half a million!

Emperor penguins don't make nests for their eggs. Instead the single, solitary egg is incubated in what is known as a 'brood pouch' between the feet of the parent. After laying, the males are the ones who guard the egg for months on end while the females go off in search of food.

Hello and welcome to your first stop for everything you need to know about Penguins!

Penguins are fascinating creatures. Most commonly associated with the Antarctic, where they make up over two thirds of the resident bird population, they can be found as far north as the Galapagos Islands off the coast of South America. Emperor
Penguins

Despite being clearly distinguishable as birds to us today, when French explorer Admiral Beaulieu first encountered them on his travels in the 1620's he described them as a kind of feathered fish, and to be fair, it is easy to see how he came to this conclusion; clumsy on land, these amazing birds are completely at home in the water, gracefully flying through the sea with as much ease as if they were actually fish.

These birds have evolved to survive (and thrive) in the harshest of environments, and it is the aim of this website to provide all the facts and information you could possibly need on these amazing animals. This site will be updated regularly so keep checking back for information on these extraordinary birds (There are over 20 different species!)

In the meantime, why not take a look at the Gift Republic , Adopt A Penguin Gift Box For just £12.99 you can adopt your very own Penguin for 12 months, with proceeds going towards helping to protect the endangered Humboldt Penguin. For more information just click here or on the image below.