Penguin Awareness Day: 10 Interesting Facts About The Bird

Penguin Awareness Day is observed on January 20 every year to raise awareness about penguins and their struggle for survival. Here are 10 interesting facts about the flightless bird that we must know.

10 Interesting Facts About Penguin

1. About 20 species of penguins are known to humans, of which Emperor Penguins are the largest, and the smallest are the ones who live in the coastal areas of New Zealand and Australia. (Image Source: Getty)

2. While they can’t fly through the air with their flippers, many penguin species take to the air when they leap from the water onto the ice. (Image Source: Getty)

3. Due to their social nature, penguins frequently establish huge colonies for the purpose of pairing and feeding. (Image Source: Getty)

4. The discovery of the oldest penguin fossil dates back to Antarctic rock, approximately 61.6 million years old, emerging around 4-5 million years following the mass extinction event that led to the demise of dinosaurs. Waimanu manneringi, the identified species, exhibited an upright posture and waddling movement akin to contemporary penguins, although its aquatic abilities were probably less refined. (Image Source: Getty)

5. Penguins are able to survive severely cold conditions. For example, imperial penguins can endure temperatures as low as -40°C. (Image Source: Getty)

6. Similar to other birds, penguins lack teeth. Instead, the interior of their mouths is equipped with backward-facing fleshy spines, aiding them in directing their fishy meals down their throats. (Image Source: Getty)

7. Penguins are carnivorous, primarily consuming fish, squid, crabs, krill, and other seafood that they capture while swimming. (Image Source: Getty)

8. During summers, an energetic, medium-sized penguin typically consumes around 2 pounds of food daily, whereas during the winter, their intake reduces to only about a third of that amount. (Image Source: Getty)

9. Male penguin gives pebble to Female Penguin as a token of their love. (Image Source: Getty)

10. During the mating season, all penguin parents exhibit monogamous behavior. However, Magellanic, Gentoo, and Royal penguins take it a step further by forming lifelong partnerships. Their co-parenting abilities are nearly unmatched in the avian world, and they have been observed expressing a form of mourning in response to the loss of a chick. (Image Source: Getty)