The Imperial Penguin

Aptenodytes forsteri (Imperial Penguin) is a fairly numerous species of the Spheniscidae family. He is the largest penguin on Earth, because the body of an adult is about 120 cm long and weighs 27-40 kg. The imperial penguin was first discovered by the Bellingshausen expedition around 1819.

This species of birds looks as if they wear a tailcoat: a head is black, with a blue hue, a white chest, a gray-blue back and a purple-pink beak at the base. Yellow-gold stripe runs to the neck.

Since wing feathers lack feathers and they are too short to hold the heavy body of a bird in the air, they play the role of fins. The imperial penguin rakes them when diving, like flippers, which facilitates rapid movement in the water masses.

Imperial penguins can travel long distances during hunting. The swimming speed is 20-25 km / hour, the depth reached is up to 535 meters. But if these animals are in a hurry, the speed can develop even more (about twice). The surface of the penguin's blades is extremely large. They are attached to the musculature, which is responsible for lifting both wings. Musculature of the chest is also well formed and accounts for up to 30% of the total body weight.

A penguin is a bird that has lost the ability to fly, but it has adapted well under extreme temperature conditions. Several layers of sturdy and warm feathers enable you to withstand an icy wind and a temperature of -50 degrees Celsius. A layer of fat can reach a thickness of three centimeters. This protection under the skin does not allow the penguin to die during the cold.

About swanship loyalty, people have put together many beautiful songs and poetic works. But the fact that the penguin is also a monogamous bird is known by few. Meanwhile, they once and for a lifetime form a pair.

The imperial penguin attracts a female of interest to him in a voice. The male's cry encourages the emergence of interest from the female, and his "serenade" makes the female respond. Since that time, the male and female are holding together.

The duration of such a "flirting" is a month. During this period, the penguin on the heels of following his chosen one, then they dance for hours, shaking their heads in time with the dance moves. After this, the emperor penguins arched, lifting their heads up, and singing in turn. The most interesting is that before the process of copulation, the female and male bow low to each other, as if making a decision never again to part.

Only after 25 days the female emperor penguin lays one single egg for the whole season. Penguin eggs are large enough, weighing about half a kilogram. Their color is pure white.

The egg of the female is deposited in May-early June. The appearance of such a pair of seabirds accompanies piercing, frankly jubilant cries. A certain time the egg is on the paws of the female, covered on top by a fold of skin at the bottom of the belly. Then it goes into the care of the male, while the future mother, starving for 50 days, swam away for food at sea. By July, the penguin is back.

A small chick at this time is still covered in down and will be able to swim only six months after molting. But he is already becoming quite curious, trying to learn the surrounding area and in 3-4 weeks begins to occasionally leave his parents. Sometimes it can end badly, because penguins are fond of children and are ready to adopt a baby, which is slightly gape.

Penguins are very different in appearance from adults, held individuals. They are a grayish shade, with a white muzzle and a "cap" of black color on the head. After 6 months, the second down cover of the chicks is replaced with a feather cap. The moulting period lasts more than one month. During this period of time, adolescents penguins stand motionless in secluded places, do not consume food and bear heavy losses in body weight. Since early January, both the young and the adult emperor penguins have sailed to the sea.