Emperor penguin Facts

About the emperor penguin

Adults reach about 100 cm (39 in) long and weigh 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb), with males and females looking alike. The head and back are black, the belly white, the breast pale yellow and the ear patches bright yellow. Fish are the main food, plus krill and squid. A hunting emperor can stay underwater for around 20 minutes and dive as deep as 535 m (1,755 ft).

Unusual hemoglobin that works at low oxygen, solid bones and the ability to slow its metabolism all help on those dives. Emperors are the only penguins that breed during the Antarctic winter, walking 50 to 120 km (31 to 75 mi) across the ice to colonies of up to several thousand birds. The female lays one egg, and the male incubates it for just over two months while she feeds at sea.

Did you know?

• Emperor penguins typically live about 20 years in the wild.
• Some emperor penguins may live as long as 50 years.
• Once the chick hatches, both parents trade off between feeding at sea and tending it in the colony.