Did you know the name “penguin” belonged to another flightless bird instead of the tuxedo-clad penguins we know today? The name belonged to a bird that became extinct in 1844. Today, we call it the great auk. The great auk roamed the North Atlantic Ocean and sported black and white feathers. As explorers steered their ships into southern oceans, they discovered birds that looked like the northern penguin. They decided to call them penguins, too. We all know these penguins by their peculiar waddle, but each species is unique, especially when it comes to their names.
The mascots of Antarctica are the Emperor penguins. These are the heavyweights of the penguin species, weighing in at more than 60 pounds. They are the only animal that spends the winter on Antarctica's open ice. To stay warm, they clump together in huge, huddled masses. They even take turns moving to the inside of the group where they are protected from the cold. When their turn is up, they head back to the outside circle, allowing fellow penguins the chance to enjoy the warm center.
The King penguin is often confused with the Emperor penguin. King penguins live on islands north of Antarctica. Although the adults are sleek and streamlined, their chicks look like furry brown footballs. In fact, because the chicks look so different from the adults, early explorers thought the brown chicks were another species of penguins and called them “wooly penguins.”
We often associate penguins with the Antarctic, but not all penguins live in the 
cold. The Magellanic penguins are named after Ferdinand Magellan, who first saw them in 1519 on his voyage around the tip of South America. Unaware of these creatures, one crewmember wrote that they anchored at “two islands full of geese.”
Fancy footwork is the reason one species is called Rockhoppers. If you think their punk rock-style head feathers and red eyes are crazy, watch them hop with their legs together, bouncing from rock to rock. Rockhoppers need to hop because they nest up to 500 feet above the sea. Having nests up high keeps Rockhoppers safe from leopard seals and other predators. Rockhoppers climb high, but they also need to get down. Imagine falling off a cliff and banging into rocks. Ouch! Their tightly packed feathers and thick fat layer act like shock absorbers, allowing them to withstand large drops onto boulders without harm. No human could survive such a battering, but Rockhoppers make it safely to the water's edge and dive in.
Have you ever seen a penguin with yellow eyes? Yellow-eyed penguins live in New Zealand. In the last 50 years, many trees in the forest have been cut down, reducing the number of Yellow-eyed penguins in existence. New predators such as cats, dogs, and ferrets have been introduced to their environment, making them the rarest of all penguins.
Another penguin is called the Chinstrap. Chinstrap penguins get their name from a thin band of black feathers that runs from ear to ear under their chins, like the strap on a helmet. Just like football players, Chinstraps huddle together, often crowding onto icebergs and forcing others to jump off. They’re fairly aggressive and are known for their ear-splitting calls.
What do black-footed penguins have in common with donkeys? The black-footed penguins make a loud braying noise, which is why they’re also known as jackass penguins. They get the name black-footed penguins because they look like they’ve been standing in the mud.
Macaroni penguins don’t eat pasta. They feast on seafood, such as krill and squid. Macaronis sport a crest of orange and yellow feathers above each eye, like crazy eyebrows. The name macaroni has the same origin as the line, “Put a feather in his cap and called it macaroni,” from the song “Yankee Doodle.” It refers to a group of 18th-century British men called Macaronis who wore wild wigs and fancy clothes.
The smallest of all penguins is the Little penguin. It’s also called the Fairy penguin or Little Blue. From the neck down, all penguins are quite similar in appearance: white on the front, dark on the back. This is known as counter shading. However, Little Blue has traded the traditional penguin black-tie look for a blue-gray tuxedo. They prefer the warm waters off southern Australia and New Zealand. They’re small enough to crawl into rock crevices or caves to build their nests.
Despite their differences, these waddling torpedoes spend most of their lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed and shed their feathers. Some species are considered endangered, but penguins are now protected by law. This means we’ll be able to enjoy peculiar penguins for a long time.
Did you know?
· Penguins are surrounded by salt water and can't get fresh water to drink, so their bodies make fresh water for them. Penguins have a gland that removes the salt from the water and releases it through grooves in their bills.
· Penguins swallow pebbles and stones as well as their regular food. Scientists think it helps them grind and digest their food.
· When a penguin is at sea, it usually eats as much as it can. A large penguin can collect up to 30 fish in one dive.
· Penguins can swim in excess of 12 mph. Through the use of air sacs to protect their lungs, penguins can stay underwater for 15 to 20 minutes.
· Penguins are very near-sighted on land, but possess exceptional vision in the water.
· Penguin Awareness Day is January 20.
Ideas to celebrate:
· Wear black and white.
· Visit the zoo, aquarium, or anywhere you can see penguins.
· Watch a movie about penguins.
· Go to the library and read a penguin book.
· Draw a picture of a penguin.
Photograph Copyright © 2009 Clipart Creations
Copyright © 2009 by Lori Calabrese