Emperor penguin

Hero of the Antarctic winter

The emperor penguin is the biggest penguin — as tall as a seven-year-old child. Penguins can't fly, but they 'fly' underwater — they're superb swimmers. The most amazing thing: the father penguin keeps the egg warm on his feet under his belly for 2 months — in winter, at −60 °C, without eating anything! Meanwhile the mother catches fish in the sea.

The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the largest penguin, 1.2 m tall and up to 40 kg — the only bird that winters in Antarctica. The female lays a single egg in May and leaves for the sea; the male incubates it on his feet under a fold of skin for 65 days, and at −60 °C in 200 km/h winds thousands of males form a tight 'huddle', taking turns in the warm centre. During this time a male loses 45% of his weight. Emperor penguins dive to 500 m and stay under for up to 20 minutes. Because of shrinking sea ice, 80% of colonies could vanish by 2100.

Fun facts

• The father penguin warms the egg for 2 months without food and loses half his weight.
• Emperor penguins dive 500 m deep — the height of a 150-storey building.
• In the cold, thousands of penguins huddle tightly and take turns in the middle — fair play!
• A chick finds its parents among thousands of penguins by their voice.