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When at ease, the Emperor Penguin rests on the backs of its feet, propped up by its tail.
Among 'Birders' the Emperor Penguin is known as the most difficult bird in the world to see. This isn't because they are rare or elusive, but because they live in probably the most remote and difficult place to get to on earth, Antarctica. They are the only Penguins in the world that nest on the ice. All other Antarctic Penguins nest on bare ground, principally on islands around the Continent.
I was on a Russian Icebreaker that traveled a week through the ice to reach the Continent and even that didn't get us to the Emperors. We then had to board helicopters and fly into the ice canyons where the Emperors setup their rookeries. Once there I could walk freely among the Penguins because they have no predators, out of the water, and they show no fear of people.
The Emperors walk in from open water as much as 75 miles to setup their rookeries. They do this in the dead of Antarctic Winter with 24 hours of darkness, temperatures that can drop to almost -100Fº and winds that can reach 100 MPH. The female lays a single egg that she transfers to her mate then she leaves. The male then broods this egg, on his feet, standing up, with nothing to eat, for two months.
If everything goes right, the female, who has been feeding for two months, returns just after the chick has hatched and takes over feeding and caring for the chick while the male leaves to feed for the first time in three months.
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This page was last updated: March 15, 2008