Endemic to Antarctica, this flightless bird is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguins. Sexes are similar in plumage and size, reaching 122cm in height with a weight range of 22-45kg.
The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, it treks 50–120km over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony, covering up 82-1454km per individual per trip. The parent will find its chick amongst the huge colony through the use of a complex set of vocal calls unique between parents and offspring. Vocalizing Emperor Penguins use two frequency bands simultaneously. Chicks use a frequency-modulated whistle to beg for food and to contact parents.
A male Emperor penguin must withstand the Antarctic cold for more than two months to protect his eggs from extreme cold. During this entire time he doesn't eat a thing. Most male penguins will lose about 12kg while they wait for their babies to hatch. The Emperor Penguin's feathers provide 80-90% of its insulation and it has a layer of dermal fat which may be up to 3cm thick prior to breeding.
To withstand the prolonged (18mins) deep submersion (530m) in the icy waters whilst hunting, this bird has several adaptations including an unusually structured hemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels, solid bones to reduce barotrauma, and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.
The lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age.
[All text: Ref (79)]
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