Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae)
are an order of flightless birds living in the southern hemisphere.

'There are only 2 types of Penguin: Black ones and White ones' - Callan Duck

Adelie - Chinstrap - Gentoo - King - Macaroni - Rockhopper

Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breed around the entire coast of Antarctica in places where there is exposed rock. They travel large distances in winter, but always remain within the pack ice region. Adelie penguins are the smallest of the penguins living on the Antarctica continent. They are about 28 inches (70 cm) tall and weigh about 8 to 9 lbs. (4 kilogram). Adelie penguins were named after the wife of a French explorer in the 1830s. These penguins nest and breed on the rocky, ice-free beaches in large colonies of ten thousands of birds. There are over 2.5 million breeding pairs living in the Antarctica region. These penguins are one of the stiff-tailed penguins with long tail feathers that drags the ground when they walk. They have a white belly with a black head and back. They have a white ring around the eye. Feathers cover most of the short beak. They are powerful swimmers and can jump straight out of the water onto the land. They often move on the land by sledding down hills on their bellies. Adelies build their nests of pebbles on the rocky beaches of Antarctica. After bonding and mating, the female lays 2 eggs in the nest. The male then takes over the job of keeping the egg warm by holding it on the tops of his feet or laying on the egg in the nest. The female goes to feed and returns in three weeks to help with the chicks. When parents return with food for the chicks it will run from the chicks making the chicks chase and catch them for the food. Often only one chick will survive. Their chicks grow the fastest of all penguins. Adelie penguins have to defend their nests from other penguins who try to steal pebbles, stones, and other nest building materials. They don't drink water but eat snow. They have a gland in their nose that takes the salt out of the ocean water that they swallow when catching fish and eating fish while in the water.

 Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) are the second-most abundant penguin species in the Antarctic and subantarctic regions (second to macaroni penguins with approximatly 11.8 million breeding pairs). The minimum breeding population was estimated at approximately 7.5million pairs in 1993. These penguins live and breed in large colonies. They often live on large icebergs on the open ocean. They dive off to catch fish and krill. They are the boldest penguin and are most likely to fight other penguins. They got their name from the thin curved line of black feathers running under the chin. They stand about 28 inches (72 cm) tall and weigh about 9 to 14 lbs. (3.5 to 5 kg). The weight of the adults vary during the year. They are the heaviest during the molting season and the lightest during the brooding period. They are sometime called 'Stone cracker Penguins' because of their high pitched call. Chinstrap penguins make a round nest out of stones and pebbles. The female lays two eggs and the eggs are kept warm by both male and female. They do this by taking turns for 5 to 10 days, while the other mate is feeding. The chicks stay in the nest until they are 20 to 30 days old. At this time they have feathers to keep them warm. They join the crèches, which are groups of young penguins huddling together for warmth and protection.

 Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breed on subantarctic islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula in small to large colonies. Larger populations of gentoo penguins are found at South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and the Iles Kerguelen. Gentoo penguins have a wide white stripe that goes across the tops of their heads from one eye to the other. They have a very bright orange beak. They are the largest members of the stiff-tailed family. They live on many of the islands of the Antarctic region but the main colony is on the Falklands. There are about 300,000 breeding pairs on the islands. They live in large and noisy breeding colonies. Their nests are made on the rocky shores. They prefer the inland grasslands for nest building. They carry and pile stones, pebbles, grass, sticks, and anything they can find to make a circle. Gentoos can be very aggressive and will fight over stones or take stones and nest building material away from other birds' nests. Two eggs are laid inside this circle. Both parents tend to the eggs. The eggs hatch after 34 to 36 days. If there is lots of food, both chicks will survive. The chicks stay in the rock nest for 30 days. Then it forms groups with other chicks called 'crèches'. They stay here while the parents hunt for food. After about 80 to 100 days the chicks grow their adult feathers and they go on their own. Gentoo penguins stand about 30 to 35 inches (75 to 95 centimeters) tall. They can weight about 13 pounds (6 kilometers). They eat mostly krill and some small fish.

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) breed on many of the subantarctic islands. King penguins are the second largest penguin. King penguins typically breed in two years out of three. From courtship to the fledging of the chick may take 14 months or more. It is sometimes confused with the larger Emperor penguin. The King penguin has orange ear patches that are a closed tear-drop shape; while the Emperor penguin has a yellow open ear patch shape. Adults are 90 cm tall and weigh about 15-16 kg. They are found on many sub-Antarctic islands including Crozet, Prince Edward, Kerguelen, South Georgia and Mazquarie Islands. Total population is estimated to be 1 million breeding pairs. The male king penguin incubates the egg much as male Emperor penguins, but the King penguins do this during the warmer summer season, when food is more available. Once the egg is laid, the male will care for it. The female goes to the open sea and will return in about 21 days to take her turn keeping the egg warm. The male will only go about 1 month without food. The chick hatches in about 54 days. The chick is cared for by both parents for 30 to 40 days. At this time it joins a crèche for warmth and protection from predators. The parents return to sea to feed. They take turns bringing food to the chick every other day. The chicks grow quickly during the warm summer weather. When autumn and winter comes the parents go back to sea to feed. The chicks have grown a warm brown fussy down of feathers, sometimes called the 'Oakham Boys'. They have also grown a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm during the winter months ahead. The chicks huddle in their crèches during the winter months while the parents occasionally come onshore to feed them. In the spring the parents come back and start feeding the chick again. At this time, the chicks starts to grow its adult feathers and is ready to go off on its own. King penguins mainly eat fish with small amounts of squid and crustaceans. Early explorers of the region thought the brown chicks were another species of penguins. They called them the 'Woolly penguin'.

 Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus). The name is derived from Greek and means 'good diver' (Eudyptes) 'with a golden crest' (chrysolophus). Unlike most other penguins, macaronis lay 2 eggs each breeding season. The second egg is bigger than the first and is typically the only one that hatches. The breeding population was estimated at 11 million pairs in 1993. Macaroni penguins are similar to the Royal penguins. They both have the yellow and black plumes joining on the top of the head. The difference is that the Macaroni has solid black feathers on the cheeks and under the chin on the throat, while the Royal penguins have white chins. There are large breeding colonies of Macaroni penguins on the sub-Antarctic Islands of South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard & McDonald Islands. Colonies are also located on the small islands off the southern tips of South America and Africa. There are an estimated total population of 12 million breeding pairs of Macaroni penguins. They stand about 28 inches (71 cm) tall and weigh 11 to 13 lbs. (5 to 6 kg). This penguin was named by the early English explorers. In the mid 18th century, a young man who wore flashy feathers in his hat was called a 'Macaroni'. The English explorers thought the yellow feathers of this penguin was like a fancy young man called a 'macaroni'. Macaroni penguins build a crude nest by scraping a shallow hole in mud or gravel among rocks. The incubation, keeping the egg warm, is done by both male and female in long shifts. The egg usually hatches within 33 to 37 days. The male cares for the newly hatched chick for 23 to 25 days while the female brings food daily. At this time chicks have a down covering and they form groups with other chicks in crèches for warmth and protection. The parents will feed them every 1 to 2 days until they have their adult feathers and are ready to go on their own. This takes place in about 60 to 70 days. Macaroni penguins eat mostly krill with small amounts of squid.

 Rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes Chrysocome) are the smallest of the crested penguins. Two eggs are laid, with the smaller first egg rarely producing a chick to fledging. Rockhoppers are part of a family of penguins called the crested penguins because of the brightly colored feathers on their heads. These bright feathers look like long eyebrows. They eat squid, krill , and other small fish. Rockhoppers live on most of the islands in the Antarctic region. There are major colonies on the Falkland Islands. It is estimated that there are over 3 million breeding pairs. Rockhoppers are about 18 to 23 inches (45 to 58 centimeters) and can weigh about 5 to 8 pounds (2 to 3 kilograms). They get their name because they hop over rocks and crevices on the shores where they live. Penguins make their nests by scraping a hole in the ground and lining it with dried grasses. Two eggs are usually laid. Often only one chick survives. The first egg is smaller and often gets eaten by predators. The second egg is larger and the chick that hatches from this egg has a better chance of surviving. Rockhoppers are loud, noisy, and feisty birds. They are quick to attack anyone or anything that bothers them. The male and female guard the eggs and keep them warm for 32 to 34 days. They take turns with each taking care of the eggs for 10 days at a time. When the chick is hatched the male broods and cares for the chick while the female fishes and brings home food. When the chick is about 4 weeks old they huddle with other chicks in crèches. The chicks do this for warmth and protection. The chicks molt and leave for the open sea when they are 65 to 72 days old.

Steve Anstee - Assistant Expedition Leader & Heidi Krajewsky - Naturalist
If there's an Olympic sport for Zodiac racing my money's on one of these guys!

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