What is the largest penguin?
Quick answer
The emperor penguin is the largest living species of penguin. Adults stand about 1.1–1.3 m (3.6–4.3 ft) tall and weigh 22–45 kg (50–100 lb). They live only in Antarctica, where they breed during the freezing winter, when temperatures can drop below −40°C.
The largest penguins
| Rank | Species | Height (approx.) | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emperor | 1.1–1.3 m | Antarctica |
| 2 | King | 0.85–0.95 m | Sub-Antarctic islands |
| 3 | Gentoo | 0.7–0.9 m | Antarctic Peninsula, sub-Antarctic |
| … | Little (fairy) penguin | ~0.33 m | Australia, New Zealand (smallest) |
There are about 18 species of penguin. All live in the Southern Hemisphere; the Galápagos penguin lives right on the equator.
How emperors survive the Antarctic winter
- In autumn, they walk up to 100 km inland to breeding colonies on sea ice.
- The female lays one egg and returns to sea to feed.
- The male balances the egg on his feet under a warm fold of skin for about 2 months, eating nothing.
- Males huddle together in thousands, slowly rotating so everyone gets a turn in the warm middle.
- Females return when the chicks hatch, and the hungry males finally head to sea.
Record-breaking divers
Emperor penguins can dive deeper than 500 meters and hold their breath for more than 20 minutes, hunting fish, squid and krill.
A species at risk
Emperor penguins need stable sea ice to breed. As the ice breaks up earlier because of a warming climate, scientists warn that many colonies could decline sharply this century. The US listed them as threatened in 2022.
Antarctica also holds the South Pole; see who reached it first. For another giant of the cold seas, see the largest sea turtle.
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