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Name: Emperor penguins

Height: 120~150cm

Life expectacy: 20years or more

Where they live: mainly in the Weddell Sea, Dronning Maud Land, Enderby and Princess Elizabeth Lands and the Ross sea. (map)

Similarities & differences between the kings and the emperors: Like king penguins, the emperors have dark pink colour on the both sides of the bill, orange patches under it and extend down to the front of the neck. However, the eggs are incubated by male penguins, instead of both penguins.

Immediately after passing the egg, the female goes to the sea to find food and to leave the coldest winter. The male penguins have to take care the egg for the whole month(May). The male penguin puts the egg on his feet covered with a warm brood pouch to keep warm. If the egg is left for a few seconds, the egg will freeze.

May is the coolest month in Antarctica. No living things can survive in this extreme cold weather, except the emperor penguins. In these days, the emperors may huddle together to share their body temperature.

The temperature in centre is about 10°C higher than the edges, so their position may change sp that each penguin can be in centre for some time.

By mid-July, the females returned to the colony. At this time, the eggs have already hatced, and the females identify their chicks by calling them. The chicks are passed from the males to the females, this is the time for the females to take care for their chicks. As the males have not take any food for a long time, their weight have lost nearly a half so they should go to the sea to find food. The females may feed their children and keep them warm. The chicks grow very rapidly. After 1-2 months, the chicks are too big that they no longer able to be carried to the parents' feet. Their hunger can never be satisfied, too. As a result, both parents have to find food and the chicks may huddle in a creche and to wait for food.

Chicks depend on their parents for food. However, if their parents die(maybe killed by leopards seals or whales), they cannot survive.

By December, they weigh almost as much as their parents. Their grey juvenile plumage are replaced by new black & white feathers which are waterproof. This is called moulting. They become independent and can find food themselves.