Emperor Penguin
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae Genus: Aptenodytes Species: A. forsteri
Binomial name
Aptenodytes forsteri Gray, 1844

The Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. It is endemic to Antarctica, and is the only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter. Emperor Penguins mainly eat crustaceans (such as krill) but also occasionally take small fish and squid. In the wild, Emperor Penguins typically live for 20 years, but some records indicate a maximum lifespan of around 40 years. The Emperor Penguin should not be confused with the closely related King Penguin or the Royal Penguin. Emperor penguins. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... This article is about penguin birds. ... This article is about penguin birds. ... Species Aptenodytes patagonicus Aptenodytes forsteri Aptenodytes ridgeni (fossil) The genus Aptenodytes (from the Greek for flightless diver) contains two extant species of penguins collectively known as the great penguins. King Penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus Emperor Penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri Ridgens Penguin (Aptenodytes ridgeni) is an extinct species known from fossil bones. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... George Robert Gray (July 8, 1808 - May 6, 1872) was an English zoologist and author and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum in London for forty-one years. ... Jan. ... Modern genera Aptenodytes Eudyptes Eudyptula Megadyptes Pygoscelis Spheniscus For prehistoric genera, see Systematics Some penguins are curious. ... This article is a parent page for a series of articles providing information about endemism among birds in the Worlds various zoogeographic zones. ... For the Dutch band, see Crustacean (band). ... Families Euphausiidae Euphausia Dana, 1852 Meganyctiphanes Holt and W. M. Tattersall, 1905 Nematobrachion Calman, 1905 Nematoscelis G. O. Sars, 1883 Nyctiphanes G. O. Sars, 1883 Pseudeuphausia Hansen, 1910 Stylocheiron G. O. Sars, 1883 Tessarabrachion Hansen, 1911 Thysanoessa Brandt, 1851 Thysanopoda Latreille, 1831 Bentheuphausiidae Bentheuphausia amblyops Krill are shrimp-like marine... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Squid (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Miller,JF, 1778 The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 90 cm (3 ft) tall and weighing 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. ... Binomial name Eudyptes schlegeli Finsch, 1876 The Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) inhabits the waters surrounding Antarctica. ...

Physical characteristics

Adults average 1.15 m (45.3 in.) in length and weigh between 20 and 45 kg (44 to 99 lb), making this penguin the 5th heaviest existing bird.The largest known individual was about 46 kg (101 lb). The head and wings are black, the abdomen white, the back bluish-gray and the bill is purplish-pink. On the sides of the neck there are two golden circular stripes. As in the King Penguin, a male Emperor Penguin has an abdominal fold, the "brood pouch", between its legs and lower abdomen. For other uses of the word head, see head (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wing (disambiguation). ... For the human abdomen, see human abdomen. ... Diagram of an insect leg A leg is the part of an animals body that supports the rest of the animal above the ground and is used for locomotion. ... For the human abdomen, see human abdomen. ...

The Emperor Penguin has a thick coat of feathers that insulate the entire body, excluding only the legs and the undersides of the wings. The feathers provide a waterproof layer around its body.

Emperor Penguin chick

Emperor Penguin chicks are covered with a thick layer of light gray down. This covering ensures that they retain as much heat as possible, vital at this early stage when they have difficulty maintaining their body temperature. In addition, the infant Emperor Penguin's orbital area is covered in white downy feathers, unlike the all-black feathered head of the adult. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 100 KB) Summary Taken by mtp@mtpa. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 100 KB) Summary Taken by mtp@mtpa. ...

Males and females can be distinguished by their call. Each call is distinct. They also are related to the King and the Chinstrap Penguin. Bird song refers to the sounds, usually melodious to the human ear, made by many birds of the order Passeriformes as a form of communication. ... Binomial name Pygoscelis antarctica The Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is a species of [penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island, Balleny and Peter I Island. ...

Ecology and behavior

Emperor Penguins, Ross Sea, Antarctica.

Emperor Penguins are social animals, both foraging and nesting in groups. In severe weather the penguins huddle together for protection. They may be active day or night. Mature adults travel throughout most of the year between the nesting area and foraging areas in the ocean. From January to March, Emperor Penguins disperse into the oceans, traveling and foraging in groups. It is estimated that there are at least 250,000 Emperor Penguins, distributed into as many as 40 independent Antarctic colonies. Download high resolution version (700x1024, 111 KB) Emperor penguins, Ross Sea, Antarctica Photographer: Michael Van Woert, 1999 Source: NOAA Photo Library, http://www. ... Download high resolution version (700x1024, 111 KB) Emperor penguins, Ross Sea, Antarctica Photographer: Michael Van Woert, 1999 Source: NOAA Photo Library, http://www. ... Map of Antarctica (click to enlarge) Ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land. ...

They normally dive to between 150 and 250 m (490 to 820 ft), although they can venture deeper, the deepest diving on record being 565 m (1870 ft). The longest they can hold their breath when underwater is 15 to 20 minutes. Their swimming speed is 6 to 9 km/h (4 to 6 mph), but they can achieve up to 19 km/h (12 mph) in short bursts. One of their feeding strategies is to dive to about 50 m (164 ft), where they can easily spot the sub-ice fish, Pagothenia borchgrevinki, swimming against the under surface of the sea-ice, which they then catch. They then dive again and repeat the sequence about half a dozen times before surfacing to breathe. They may also blow bubbles into the cracks in the ice to drive out the hiding fish. Binomial name Pagothenia borchgrevinki Boulenger, 1902 The Bald notothen (Pagothenia borchgrevinki) is a cryopelagic fish of the Southern Ocean. ...

On land they alternate between walking with a wobbling gait and sliding over the ice on their bellies, propelled by their feet and their flipper-like wings.

Emperor Penguin colony

As a defense against the cold, Emperor Penguins stand in compact huddles (also known as the turtle formation) ranging in size between ten and many hundreds of birds, each leaning forward on a neighbor. Those on the outside tend to shuffle slowly around the edge of the turtle producing a slow churning action, giving each bird a turn on the inside and the outside. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 89 KB) Summary Closeup of Emperor penguin colony in winter mtp@mtpa. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 89 KB) Summary Closeup of Emperor penguin colony in winter mtp@mtpa. ...

Predators

Skua flying over Emperor Penguin chicks, Ross Sea, Antarctica.

In the wild, the Emperor Penguin's predators include Antarctic giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus), Skua, Leopard Seals, and orca. Before the removal of dogs from Antarctica the penguins also fell prey to abandoned sled dogs and their progeny^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixels Full resolution (1944 × 1296 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixels Full resolution (1944 × 1296 pixel, file size: 1. ... Map of Antarctica (click to enlarge) Ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land. ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Species (Gmelin, 1789) (Mathews, 1912) The giant petrels are two large seabirds from the genus Macronectes. ... For other uses: see Skua (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Blainville, 1820) Hydrurga leptonyx range map. ... Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). ... Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or sleddogs are a group of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. ...

Reproduction

The life-cycle of the Emperor Penguin

Emperor Penguins first begin to breed at approximately five years of age. Emperor penguins travel about 90 km (56 mi) inland to reach the breeding site. The penguins start courtship in March or April, when the temperature can be as low as –40°C (–40°F). Emperor Penguins are serially monogamous. They have only one mate each year, and stay faithful to that mate. However, the next year, most end up with different mates. Although they attempt to locate the previous year's mate in the next breeding season, most cannot find each other and choose a new mate. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 540 pixel Image in higher resolution (1800 × 1216 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 540 pixel Image in higher resolution (1800 × 1216 pixel, file size: 1. ... For other uses, see Temperature (disambiguation). ... Serial polygamy is a form of marriage in which participants have more than one sexual partner in their lifetime (hence polygamy), but not at the same time (hence serial). ...

In May or June, the female penguin lays one 450 gram (1 lb) egg, but at this point her nutritional reserves are exhausted and she must immediately return to the sea to feed. Very carefully, she transfers the egg to the male, who incubates the egg in his brood pouch for about 65 days consecutively without food by surviving on his fat reserves and spending the majority of the time sleeping to conserve energy. The transfer of the egg can be awkward and difficult, and many couples drop the egg in the process. When this happens, the chick inside is immediately lost as the egg cannot withstand the low temperatures on the icy ground. To survive the cold and winds of up to 200 km/h (120 mph), the males huddle together, taking turns in the middle of the huddle. They have also been observed with their backs to the wind to conserve body heat. If the chick hatches before the mother's return, the father sets the chick on his feet and covers it with his pouch, feeding it a white, milky substance produced by a gland in his esophagus. BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ... For other uses, see FAT. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ... The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/Å“sophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ...

Emperor Penguin feeding a chick

After about two months, the female returns. She finds her mate among the hundreds of fathers via his call and takes over caring for the chick, feeding it by regurgitating the food that she has stored in her stomach. The male then leaves to take his turn at sea. His trip is slightly shorter than before, because the melting of ice in the summer gradually decreases the distance between the breeding site and the open sea. After another few weeks, the male returns and both parents tend to the chick by keeping it off the ice and feeding it regurgitated food. About two months after the egg hatches, as the weather becomes milder, the chicks huddle in a crèche for warmth and protection, still fed by their parents. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 95 KB) Summary Emperor penguin feeding chick mtp@mtpa. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 95 KB) Summary Emperor penguin feeding chick mtp@mtpa. ... The Crèche in zoology refers to care of anothers offspring, for instance in a colony. ...

Eventually, both the chick and parents return to the sea and spend the rest of the summer feeding there. At the end of the summer the whole inland trip is repeated for all those penguins of breeding age, while the younger ones stay at the sea edge.

egg

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 723 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1003 × 832 pixel, file size: 198 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 723 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1003 × 832 pixel, file size: 198 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

Conservation status

The Emperor Penguin, along with nine other species of penguin, is currently being considered for placement under the Endangered Species Protection Act. The primary reasons for this are declining food availability due to the effects of climate change, and industrial fisheries on the crustacean and fish populations. Other reasons for their placement on this list include such things as disease, foreign and introduced predators (this is more so for the other species of penguin than it is the Emperor), habitat destruction, and disturbance at breeding colonies by humans. The ruling for this will be introduced by November of this year, with protection commencing one year after.

Miscellaneous

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Apsley Cherry-Garrard, the Antarctic explorer said: "Take it all in all, I do not believe anybody on Earth has a worse time than an Emperor Penguin."^[1]
• The Emperor Penguin has been the subject of several documentaries. In 1993, the species was featured in the BBC series Life in the Freezer, hosted by David Attenborough. In 2005, the French documentary La Marche de l'empereur (released as March of the Penguins in the U.S.) spotlit the penguins' reproductive cycle. The BBC and Attenborough covered the Emperor again in the 2006 series Planet Earth.
• The computer-animated movie Happy Feet (2006) features Emperor Penguins as its primary characters, with one in particular that loves to dance, depicting them as endangered by a shrinking food supply.
• The computer-animated move Surf's Up (2007) features a genius Emperor penguin surfer named, Zeke " Big-Z" Topanga. Numerous adorable Emperor penguin chicks are featured.
• Emperor Penguins starred in Farce of the Penguins, a parody of March of the Penguins which included penguin chicks in the cracking egg scene.
• A Popular online children's game named Club Penguin is based on Emperor Penguins.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard (January 2, 1886 – May 18, 1959) was an English explorer of Antarctica. ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Life in the Freezer is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 18 November 1993. ... Sir David Frederick Attenborough, OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS (born on May 8, 1926 in London, England) is one of the worlds best known broadcasters and naturalists. ... March of the Penguins (French: La Marche de lempereur; literally The Emperors March) is an Academy Award-winning documentary film by Luc Jacquet, co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. ... Planet Earth is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Alastair Fothergill. ... Happy Feet is an Academy Award-winning Australian-produced 2006 computer-animated comedy-drama film, directed and co-written by George Miller. ... Surfs Up is an American computer-animated mockumentary film produced by Sony Pictures Animation, released on June 7, 2007[1] by Columbia Pictures. ... Farce of the Penguins is a 2007 direct-to-DVD parody film of the 2005 film March of the Penguins. ... Club Penguin is a massively multiplayer online game for children developed by New Horizon Interactive. ...

Further reading

• Deguine, Jean-Claude. 1974. Emperor Penguin: Bird of the Antarctic. The Stephen Greene Press, Vermont.
• Rivolier, Jean. 1956. Emperor Penguins. Elek Books, London.
• Williams, T. (1995). The Penguins. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. 
• (1997) "Emperor Penguin", Great Book of Birds. Philadelphia: Courage Books. 
• National Geographic CritterCAM additional feature on DVD version of March of the Penguins
• Willy Puchner, Penguins - Traveling the World

Crittercam is a package of instruments including a camera that can be attached to a wild animal to study its behaviour in the wild. ... March of the Penguins (French: La Marche de lempereur; literally The Emperors March) is an Academy Award-winning documentary film by Luc Jacquet, co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. ... Willy Puchner (born 15 March 1952) is an Austrian photographer, artist, painter and author. ...

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Aptenodytes forsteri. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Aptenodytes forsteri

• University of Michigan info site with citations for specific studies
• Info on Emperor Penguins by 70South
• National Geographic Kids' Creature Feature: Emperor Penguins
• Photographs of Emperor penguins
• The Emperor Penguin: Aptenodytes forsteriis
• Information about penguins
• Morphology of the Emperor Penguin including 3D computed tomographic (CT) animations of skeletons
• Emperor Penguin videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Penguin World: Emperor penguin
• Canadian Museum of Nature: Emperor Penguin Emperor Penguin
• Emperor Penguins: Pioneering Science on the Frozen Fronier article from Scripps Institution of Oceanography