Eggs on Ice It’s tough enough for adult emperor penguins to survive the cold. It’s even harder for their chicks. T ey hatch in the winter, the coldest time of the year. Each winter, emperor penguins waddle far


inland. T ere’s no food there and nothing to make a nest with. Yet it’s safe from predators. Cold is the biggest danger. T e egg can’t


touch the ice. If it does, the chick inside will freeze to death. So a female emperor will carefully catch her egg on her feet. T en she’ll gently push the egg onto her mate’s feet. T en the female leaves to find food. T e


journey to the sea and back can take two months. In the meantime, the male takes care of the egg. He holds it between his feet and belly. He doesn’t eat. He barely moves. He does what he has to do to keep the egg warm. With luck, the chick survives. It hatches.


T en it’s time to teach the newest emperor penguin how to survive in its icy world.


The Smallest Penguin A penguin father keeps his chick warm.


Not all penguins are big birds. Meet the little blue, or fairy, penguin. It’s small enough to fi t in your hands. Unlike other penguins, fairies often fl ock together at sea. This helps to keep these small penguins safe from predators.


JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2014 7


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