World Penguin Day: Cute Pictures, Fun Facts To Celebrate The Adorable Birds

Penguins are one of the most cute and interesting birds on the planet — so much so that there is a day to celebrate the creatures— April 25, which is World Penguin Day. This day marks the annual northward migration of penguins and also gives a good opportunity to learn more about the black and white furry creatures.

Below are some lesser-known facts about penguins:

1. There are 17 species of penguins and all of them are found in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Mental Floss.

2. Penguins vary in size and strengths. The tallest kind among their species is the Emperor penguins, which are nearly 4 feet tall. On the other hand, the smallest ones are the Little Blue penguins, which are only about 16 inches. The Gentoo penguin can beat all other species of its kind when it comes to swimming, boasting of speed up to 22 mph.

3. Earliest penguin were found some 60 million years ago, according to fossils discovered by archeologists. This means that the immediate ancestor of penguins we see today, survived the age of the dinosaurs.

4. Penguins shed all their feathers all at once. During the “catastrophic molting,” the two-legged creatures avoid going into the water and spend two to three weeks on land till the procedure is complete.

5. Penguins have been known to engage in homosexual behavior since as far as 1911. In 2016, a gay penguin couple celebrated 10 years of togetherness.

6. The cute and classic black and white color of a penguin’s fur does not only make it look adorable, but it actually works as a camouflage. The black fur on top is meant to blend in with the murky water, making it easier for them to creep up behind its preys or hide from predators. The white underbelly acts as a disguise against the bright surface of the ocean.

7. Some species of penguins are found to mate with the same member of the opposite sex in every breeding season. Similarly, some penguins are believed to return to the same nesting area where they were born when it’s time for them to lay eggs.

8. While most species of penguins create nests from pebbles or feathers before laying eggs, Emperor penguins use the top of their feet to keep an egg warm. They incubate a single egg under a featherless loose fold of skin, which has a concentration of blood vessels, that helps keep the egg warm.

9. Male penguins would stay behind for weeks at a time to incubate the eggs while the female penguins would go hunt for food. This is because the males have enough fat storage in their bodies to survive without food for days.

10. People often have the misconception that penguins have poor hearing because they do not have visible ears. This is not true, as female penguins often rely on the call of their mates to guide them back to the respective breeding grounds when they return from hunting.

11. If a baby chick dies, an Emperor penguin mother will likely “kidnap” another chick.

12. Penguins are found to be quite friendly with humans, interacting with tourists without fear. The fearlessness comes as they generally don't experience any danger from animals on solid ground.

“They make eye contact, they vocalize, they want to engage,” Linda Henry, SeaWorld San Diego aviculturist and supervisor in the bird department, said Tuesday, according to San Diego Union Tribune. “ And I think on World Penguin Day, what better to do than make eye contact with a penguin?”