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Where do penguins live?

All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. Each place has its own species. e.g. Emperor penguins can only be found in Antarctica. The penguins are gradually spread from New Zealand to the north towards the Equator.

Can the penguins fly?

I can say, yes, but not those penguins at present. In acient times, penguins have similar features of modern albatrosses and petrels, which can fly. Penguins' flippers are modified from flying wings, which made them swim well.

       
What do you guess the above picture is? Candy? A man? The answer is...it is a penguin! This is a fossil penguin. It can be much taller than Emperor penguins, which are the tallest on earth, and can even smaller than Fairy penguins.
       
 

What do penguins eat?

All penguins are predators, i.e. they take animals for food. They eat small creatures in the sea(see right). The animals penguins hunt are called their prey.

 
squid fish krill

It's time to go home!

For the emperors, as soon as the female penguins laid their eggs, they may give the eggs to the male penguins and go to the sea to find food. Males have to take care for the eggs for the whole winter without eating anything. Two weeks after the chicks born, the females came back and take care for their sons for two months. This time, the males can finally have their meal. Now, let's take a look at the female penguins' journey!

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Nicole: I'm back!
(This female penguin have just returned from the sea. She is full and is able to feed the chicks.)
Christina: I'm homesick...
(They are doing an act called tobagging. It is quick and funny.)
             

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Nicole: wow, it's funny!
 
Christina: Yes, it's funny but the journey is too long. The weather is cold and there are a lot of freezing ice. When can I back home?
 
Nicole: I can recognize my husband's voice. He's over there! And my dear son!(When they found their partners after five month's apart, they do a dance called mating display.)
 
           
         
 

The Timid Yellow-eyed penguins

Because of the distinctive face markings as well as an unusual yellow-eyed colour, we called them the YELLOW-EYED PENGUINS. Their habitat is in New Zealand. When adult, the crown of the head, the sides of the face and the chin are all pale yellow. Each feather here has a black streak down the centre. There is a broad yellow band extending from the base of the bill, around the eyes to the back of the head.

Why are they extinct?

Nowadays, many coastal forests have been damaged. Yellow-eyed penguins are forced to nest in gullies or on hills that face the sea. These nest sites offer no shelter from the hot sun. As a result, they suffer a lot from heat stress, especially during the breeding season. When they are not looking after chicks, they sleep on land in the cool of the night and go to sea by day.

Moreover, many are killed by accident. Fish nets cause lots of problems that the penguins may be tangled up in the nets and drown because they can't swim to the surface to breathe.

What have we done to protect them?

Conservation groups are working hard to protect yellow-eyed penguins. Large nest boxes placed in suitable areas encourage more penguins to nest, by providing shelter and protection from the heat of sun.

   
           

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