Kkkrueew! A honking cry fills the air. It sounds like a marching band full
of kazoos. T ousands of king penguins are making this noise. T ese birds have flocked together on a
rocky beach. It’s cold here, halfway between Antarctica and South America. Despite the cold, a few penguins waddle toward the sea. T ey wade into crashing waves. T en they dive headfirst into the icy waters. It’s clear that kings and other penguins aren’t
like most birds. T ey’re built for a life in the sea, not in the air. T ey have wings like other birds, but they can’t fly. T eir wings are too small, and their bodies are too heavy. In the ocean, it’s a diff erent story. Penguins
swim like fish. T ey look like they’re soaring through the water. Penguins may look odd compared to other
birds. T ey may act oddly. Yet these physical adaptations and behavioral adaptations help them survive. To see how, let’s take a closer look at the
traits that all penguins share. T ese traits help penguins live in some of the most extreme places on Earth.
Fantastic Feathers A penguin’s ability to survive starts with its feathers. Its feathers are diff erent from other birds’ feathers. T ey aren’t light, long, and f luff y. T ey’re short, stiff , and oily. And there are a lot of them. A penguin has more feathers per square centimeter than most other birds. When it’s cold, a penguin hooks its feathers
together. T is locks in air next to the penguin’s skin. T e bird’s body heat warms this trapped air. T e warm air keeps the penguin warm. Hooked feathers keep out cold water and
wind, too. T at keeps a penguin from freezing even when temperatures plunge below zero.
4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME EXPLORER
PENGUIN PARTS
FEATHERS are short and oily. They trap warm air and keep out cold water and wind.
BODY SHAPE helps a penguin swim fast. Water fl ows over it easily.
Explore some of the physical adaptations that help penguins survive in extreme places.
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