World Penguin Day

Honouring the Unique Bird on the Planet

Penguins are aquatic and are birds that cannot fly. 25 April is World Penguin Day. One etymology links the word to the Latin pinguis. Most penguins are monogamous. Penguins differ considerably in size. Some of them are fast swimmers and divers. Having dense bones makes them flightless. Communication among them is through a variety of vocalisations and gestures. They express their affection through displays of body language. Endangered they are, thePenguins and their numbers in the wild are decreasing. Of the 17 penguin species living in the wild, 10 of them. Some of the main threats they face are climate change, poaching, industrial fishing practices, oil spills, and disease. We need to preserve penguins and other wild sea creatures for the sake of our planet and the sake of future generations. 

It is practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry.
Joe Moore

Penguins are aquatic and are birds that cannot fly. 25 April is World Penguin Day. The events that led to the starting of the observation of World Penguin Day in 1972 are now known. American research centre, McMurdo Station on Ross Island, is responsible for the beginning of the observation. The date coincides with when the penguins start their annual northward journey. These penguins have been carrying out the same migration for generations. The observation raises awareness of this unique bird, which is becoming a threat.

The word penguin was a synonym for the great auk and dates back to the 16^th century. One etymology links the word to the Latin pinguis. Exciting ways of calling the penguins. Male penguins are cocks, females hens. Waddle is a group of penguins on land; the same in water are called rafts. Many species live in warm, tropical regions of the world as well. The life span of penguins can be up to 30 years in the wild. Humans do not consume penguin meat.   

Most penguins are monogamous and differ considerably in size. The emperor is the most giant penguin (4 feet tall), while the Fairy penguin is the most diminutive (one foot tall). Having dense bones makes them flightless. Much like humans, penguins live in large colonies and form strong bonds with others of their kind. Communication among them is through a variety of vocalisations and gestures. They express their affection through displays of body language. That is why it is a pleasure to watch them.

Penguins are adaptive to aquatic life. Their wings (flippers) give them excellent swimming ability. Some of them are fast swimmers and divers. Spend as much as 75% of their lives in the water. The leading food for them is krill (small crustaceans). The reduction in the ice in most of Antarctica is resulting in the decrease of krill stocks. Since Penguins survive on seafood, their bodies filter the salt from their bloodstream, which gets excreted through sneezing and bill.

Endangered they are, the Penguins and their numbers in the wild are decreasing. Ten of the 17 Penguin species living in the wild are endangered. Climate change is posing challenges to penguins. Some main threats they face are poaching, industrial fishing practices, oil spills, and disease. Reduction in food contributes to the death of most penguins. An estimate suggests that at least two-thirds of the penguin colonies would decline by 2100.  

Declining penguin populations also impact the rest of the ecosystem and can throw it out of balance. We need to preserve penguins and other wild sea creatures for the sake of our planet and the sake of future generations. 

Toons: Reema
Logs: M Sai Baba
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