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Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) Size: 1.2-1.3 m Weight: 38 kg (male avg.), 29.5 kg (female avg.) - start of breeding season; 23 kg (avg.) after breeding season

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Emperor Penguins are the tallest and heaviest penguins. They have black heads and massive bodies covered with dense, well-insulating plumage. The back and the short tail are black, the front is creamy-white, with a golden neck band. The upper mandible of the bill is black, the lower mandible orange to pink or lilac. The legs are covered with off-white feathers, the feet are dark-grey. The black wings are more like flippers. Juveniles have grey body plumage, with a white facial mask and a black cap.

Taxonomy, classification See Emperor Penguin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Emperor Penguin is available HERE . Emperor Penguins are endemic to Antarctica (including Australian Antarctica) and islands in the Southern Ocean. They breed on the fringes of the Antarcticic continent. They are unique in the sense that they are the only species to breed in the Antarctic winter. Emperor Penguins are non-flying pelagic birds that spend most of their time out in the open ocean and in coastal waters. Emperor Penguins also spend much of their time on ice.

Sightings Click here for sighting information B. Hensen reports spotting Emperor Penguins on the Antarctic shelf in December 1993. All photographic and sighting information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by B. Hensen.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal, lateral and dorsal views of Emperor Penguins (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Antarctic shelf, December 1993]

Group of Emperor Penguins on an ice float (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Antarctic shelf, December 1993]

Emperor Penguins in a snowstorm (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Antarctic shelf, December 1993]

Emperor Penguins in their typical habitat, on solid ice (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Antarctic shelf, December 1993]

Behaviour

Emperor Penguins have two modes of locomotion: Walk upright or slide on their bellies (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Antarctic shelf, December 1993]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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