Beth Shattuck, age 13, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for her question:
IS THE PENGUIN PREALLY A BIRD?
The penguin is a flightless aquatic bird that is found in the southern hemisphere. Looking more like a bowling pin than a bird, wearing a man's evening dress of black coat and white shirt front, the penguin's entire body is covered with small scale like feathers.
Penguins are water birds that live along the Antarctic continent and islands. They are found as far north as Peru or southern Brazil, the Galapagos Islands, southwest Africa, New Zealand and southern Australia. The island of South Georgia is a favorite breeding place.
There are 17 species of penguins. Largest is the emperor. Along with the king and the Adelie, the emperor penguin is among the best know. Penguins range in size from around 16 inches for some species to four feet for others.
A penguin's wings look like flippers and have no quills. The wings are useless for flight but are used for swimming and diving.
Penguins are expert swimmers and are very graceful in the water. They catch and eat small fish. When on land, they usually sit in an upright position. King and emperor penguins even hatch their single egg while erect. The male and female take turns in the hatching job.
The king penguins travel in groups. They look very dignified but are quite quarrelsome. King penguins are also natural buglers. They sometimes stretch to their full height of about 38 inches and send clear notes a great distance.
The Adelie penguins are smaller and plumper birds than the king penguins. They are very sociable and have a great deal of curiosity. If an observer stands very still, the Adelie penguins may surround him, sitting quietly and staring steadily at him.
Smallest of these birds is the blue penguin of Australia and New Zealand. Its height is about 16 inches.
The ability to withstand intense cold is one of the penguin's greatest assets.
A distinguishing feature of the king and emperor penguins is the presence of bright reddish or pinkish shields on the side of their lower bills, called mandibles. They also have large orange or yellow patches on the side of their necks.
The royal penguin, the rock hopper, the yellow eyed penguin, the macaroni penguin and the erect crested penguin are distinguished by yellow feather crests on their heads.
Although their flippers bear little resemblance to the wings of most birds, penguins are believed to have descended from flying ancestors.
Penguins do not have specific feather tracts, as do most birds. Whereas most birds shed their feathers and grow new ones during a relatively long period of the year, penguins molt all of their feathers within a short space of time. A molting penguin has a swollen, disheveled appearance. It loses its feathers in huge patches as new feathers appear. During the molting period, which may last several weeks, the penguin does not enter the water to feed.