1. Are penguins birds?

Yes, penguins are birds – they have feathers and lay eggs, although they swim and cannot fly. Penguins' feathers are stiff and closely overlay each other to create an isolating layer, which traps air beneath it and protects against the harsh Antarctic weather.

2. Where do penguins live?

Penguins live on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere, from Australia to Africa, including the Galápagos Islands and Australia. Different species will make their home in different climates. For example, the most northerly Galápagos Penguin may venture north of the equator, but Emperor and Adelié penguins only breed in Antarctica.

3. How big are penguins?

Like other animals, penguins vary in size. The tallest is the aptly named Emperor penguin of Antarctica at 1.2m, while the smallest is the also aptly named Little penguin of New Zealand, which is less than 40cm (15.7in) tall. The six largest penguin species all live in the Antarctic or within the Antarctic Circle.

4. What do penguins eat?

Penguins are carnivorous, eating fish, krill, squid, octopus and other small sea creatures, depending on their size. Male Emperor Penguins will go without food for up to 115 days while they incubate a single egg through the harsh Antarctic winter.

5. Why are penguins black and white?

Apart from the Little Blue Penguin from Australasia, most penguins are black and white as it gives camouflage from above (against predators) and below (against prey). Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule – there’s a Gentoo Penguin in Antarctica, lovingly dubbed Lucy, whose leucistic feathers are not able to create a penguin’s signature dark pigment, leaving her dressed all in white.

6. Do penguins lose their feathers?

Most birds moult (lose feathers before regrowing them) throughout the year, while penguins lose all their feathers at once. This is known as ‘catastrophic moult’ and, as their feathers provide insulation, they are unable to go out to sea and hunt for food. Instead, you’ll see them standing around, looking thoroughly miserable, while their new feathers grow.

7. How deep can penguins dive?

Penguins are incredible swimmers. They can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes, although they typically dive for around five minutes. Emperor Penguins regularly dive to depths of between 100 and 200m and the deepest dive ever recorded was at 565m, for 22 minutes.

8. How fast do penguins swim?

Don't let that comical waddle fool you – these birds are extraordinarily agile in the water. Penguins can swim at about 4 to 7mph under water, and even faster when closer to the surface. Gentoos are the fastest swimming penguins, reaching speeds of 36km/h (22mph).

9. Do polar bears eat penguins?

This is a common misconception. These two iconic polar animals actually never meet in the wild, since there are no penguins in the Arctic and no polar bears in the Southern Hemisphere. So, no – penguins don’t get eaten by polar bears.

10. What is a group of penguins called?

Penguins breed in colonies, sometimes called ‘rookeries’ – a term for slums in Dickensian Britain. There are plenty of other names for groups of penguins – they’re often called a ‘waddle’ when they’re walking en masse or a ‘raft’ when floating in the water. While parents are hunting, baby penguins are often left behind together, which is called a ‘crèche’.

11. Do penguins live in nests?

Only Gentoo Penguins build nests, using pebbles and a few old feathers. In fact, pebbles are a major currency in Gentoo courtship – a steady supply of pebbles is infinitely preferable to a bunch of roses. Pebbles can be acquired through legitimate labour, however, some penguins resort to a life of crime, stealing from another nest or a passing penguin.

12. How long do penguins take to hatch?

This varies by species. The Emperor Penguins of Antarctica incubate for around 55 days. Both parents protect the egg from harsh conditions by carefully resting it on their feet under a protective abdominal fold. Gentoo Penguins have a shorter incubation period of around 37 days, using their nest to protect the egg from both predators and the weather.

13. How many species of penguins are there?

There are said to be 18 species of penguin, but this figure is hotly contested among scientists. Some suggest that the Gentoo Penguin is not a single species, but rather three or four. There may be some truth in that – there’s a significant size difference between birds on the Falkland Islands and those on the Antarctic Peninsula, with the former on average 700g (1.5lb) heavier and 10cm (3.9in) longer than the southern birds. Southern Gentoos also reproduce two months before than their northern cousins, which is useful in the short Antarctic summer.

14. Do penguins mate for life?

Penguins are mostly monogamous or, perhaps more correctly, serially monogamous. They form a couple for a season but may have a different mate the following year. The magnificent King Penguin is only 29% faithful from one year to the next, although some species are more devoted – a pair of Magellanic Penguins was once recorded together for 16 years, happily heading towards their silver wedding anniversary. Chinstraps and Gentoos appear to be quite faithful, reuniting with last year’s mate 82% and 90% of the time respectively.