The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is an aquatic bird that belongs to the Sphenicidae family, like the rest of the penguins. Unlike the others, the emperor is the largest species and also the one that lives further south, in cold Antarctica. In addition, it is the only one that reproduces during the winter.
Although there are currently almost 600,000 individuals, emperor penguins are highly vulnerable. It is due, above all, to the reduction of the Antarctic ice as a consequence of the increase in ocean temperature. Its curious life cycle is completely associated with said ice. You want to know why? We tell you about it in this article on our site about the incubation and environment of the emperor penguin
Emperor Penguin Characteristics
The emperor penguin is the largest and heaviest of all the penguin types. It has an average height of 1.15 meters and its weight can reach 40 kilograms. Its plumage is black on the dorsal part of the body, including the fins, while its belly is white. But if something stands out among the characteristics of the emperor penguin, it is the orange spot on its auricular region.
These birds are excellent swimmers. In fact, they can hold up to 20 minutes underwater and descend to depths greater than 500 meters. It is due to its streamlined body, flat wings, and webbed feet. However, these penguins spend most of the year on the ice. To insulate themselves from the cold, they have a thick layer of fat under their skin. In addition, its plumage is the densest known.
In the inner layers of their plumage they accumulate a layer of air that also functions as insulation. As they swim, they gradually release this air in the form of bubbles. These air balls remain attached to the surface of their feathers and decrease the resistance that their body opposes to the passage of water. Thus, they manage to reach a speed of up to 30 km/h
Where does the emperor penguin live?
Emperor penguins form large colonies on the thick sea-ice shelves that surround AntarcticaIt is in these extreme places where they spend the entire winter when, moreover, it is constantly at night. To keep warm they are very close to each other and take turns to be in the center of the mass of penguins. It is also at this time that they reproduce.
December is daylight and summer arrives. The chicks are sprouting their feathers, just before their parents molt them. At the end of February, both processes are finished and everyone leaves for the cold seas that surround the continent There they spend several weeks feeding on krill, fish and squid. In this way, they accumulate fat to face a new winter.
If you are also interested in knowing what penguins eat, we leave you this other article on our site about Penguin feeding.
Emperor Penguin Reproduction
At the end of March or April, autumn arrives in Antarctica, where the ice sheets begin to thicken. Penguins gather on them and form huge colonies. Within these they look for their reproductive partner, which is different every year This is how the reproduction of the emperor penguin begins.
This bird's courtship is one of the longest known. For about three weeks, the males emit a series of squawks to attract the attention of the females, making the colony a very noisy place. The song of each penguin presents individual differences that allow the females to decide which they like better.
The male chosen by a female performs a series of movements that she imitates. We can say that they dance together to strengthen their relationshipRight after, they both move through the colony, indicating to the others that they have decided to be together. Finally, both conspecifics bow their heads, indicating the beginning of mating.
The reproduction of the emperor penguin is very different from that of the rest of the members of its family. If you want to know more, we recommend this other article on How penguins reproduce.
Emperor penguin breeding and incubation
After three weeks of gestation, the female lays a single egg At this point, the incubation of the emperor penguin begins, a very hard that the male takes care of To do this, he places the egg on his legs and covers it with his feathers, forming a kind of pouch. In this same position and without feeding it remains throughout May and June.
Meanwhile, the mothers undertake a long journey to the sea to get food. When they return, the eggs have already hatched and the chicks are waiting hungry. Luckily, their mothers return with a crop full of food and regurgitate it for their children. From then on, the mothers are in charge of taking care of the chicks while the fathers leave for the sea to feed.
For more information, you can consult this other article on How are penguins born?
How does the emperor penguin care for its young?
During the chick's first few months of life, both conspecifics take turns to keep it warm and get food. It is not until September, with the arrival of spring, that the chicks leave the lap of their parents. These then begin to fish simultaneously to meet the demands of their young.
Summer arrives in December and the chicks are 5 months old. They have grown a lot and their down disappears, giving rise to waterproof feathers. When this happens they are ready to separate from their parents, although they still do not know how to swim, dive or fish Therefore, they spend 5 or 6 years learning under the ice until they return to the colony and look for a mate to mate with.
