Why do penguins have black and white coloring?

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Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) standing on grass with a colony of penguins on rocky cliffs by the sea in the Falkland Islands. — penguin Most penguins are black and white, but the rockhopper penguin—like the southern rockhopper (*Eudyptes chrysocome*) in the foreground of this image—adds more colors. Rockhoppers have distinctive red eyes and a thin stripe of yellow feathers above each eye. They also have a crest of upright black feathers on top of their heads.

Penguins have black and white coloring primarily due to countershading, a form of deceptive coloration that aids in their survival. The dark upper side of their bodies helps them blend in with the dark ocean depths when viewed from above by predators. Simultaneously, their white undersides camouflage them against the bright sky when observed from below by predators in the water. This coloration is crucial for both evading predators and potentially for hunting prey.12