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penguin summary

Learn about the habitat and physical characteristics of penguins

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see penguin.
Groups of adult emperor penguins and fluffy gray chicks stand together on snowy ground in Antarctica, with ice formations and more penguins in the background.
Emperor penguinsEmperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) in Antarctica.

penguin, Any of 18–21 species (order Sphenisciformes) of flightless marine birds that breed mainly on islands in subantarctic waters and on cool coasts of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. A few species inhabit temperate regions, and the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) lives in the equatorial tropics off South America. Species differ mainly in size and head pattern; all have a dark back and a white belly. The smallest species, the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), is about 25–30 cm (about 10–12 in.) tall; the largest, the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), can be 130 cm (more than 4 ft.) tall. At sea for weeks at a time, flocks feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans.