Antartic Birds Essay, Research Paper
Mark Sandoval
Informative Speech
Emperor penguins are the most populated bird in the Antarctic. They are Birds without flight. You See Penguins spend most of their time in the ocean feeding on squid, krill, and fish. So they are excellent swimmers and with the use of their feet and stubby tail formed as a rudder, Along With the aid of flippers on either side acting as propellers they dart off as quickly as they come. Penguins have adapted to the cold and cold waters by developing an extremely dense plumage with every feather overlapping another, like shingles on a roof. This, Along With A Woolly Down underneath, keeps out the Outer Elements. Also a single layer of fat provides excellent insulation. Little is known about their behavior at sea, But Their main threats are Killer Whales and Leopard Seals. Now On land, they waddle upright or move in short hops. They go ashore on the islands and coastal areas only to breed. The Emperor Penguin has a most Amazing breeding cycle! You See. As the Antarctic summer is shorter than the Birth to maturity stage. The females are forced to lay their eggs at the start of the Antarctic winter. They then leave and the males are left to incubate the eggs during the coldest part of the year. This is done by balancing the egg under the adult penguin’s warm stomach, Where then it is placed on the top of their feet to stop it from freezing! The penguins huddle together in large groups to keep warm, All the while moving constantly across the ice. Those on the outside will push in a circular motion inward creating a regenerating whirlpool of warmth. Inside the huddle, the temperature can be raised as high as 20.C above existing ambient conditions. Emperor penguins are the largest of all penguins, growing to a meter in height and weighing up to 30 kilograms. They are truly the most recognizable by Their Black cap, bluish-gray neck, Orange ear-patches and yellow breasts. The Emperor colonies are located on the continental coastal sea ice while using coastal ice cliffs and icebergs as forms of shelter. About 45 colonies are in existence around the continent.