Penguins

Penguins are flightless birds that rule the oceans with their swimming skills! They can dive several hundred feet while searching for food, and some travel more than 50 miles away from where they nest between breeding seasons. Many species of penguins gather each year colonies of several thousand breeding pairs to make nests on land, where both parents incubate one or two eggs and feed the young until they’re ready to fledge after a few months. Parents use vocal calls and gestures to communicate with each other and with their chick in these noisy nesting sites!

Penguins have many adaptations to thrive in the cold depths of the ocean. They have two layers of feathers to stay warm. Their outer feathers are coated in oil to make them waterproof. They also have camouflage called countershading: in the water, a penguin’s black back and white belly make it harder for predators to see them against the dark water and bright sky.