Penguins, Birds That Walk Upright And Swim Instead Of Flying
Penguins are very different from other birds. For example, they are birds that walk upright because they cannot walk with their body almost parallel to the ground. This is because their legs are born far back, which forces them to stand up and walk in a characteristic way, awkwardly, waddling. For this reason, they are also known as “silly birds.”
If a penguin is on ice, it will lie on its belly to quickly glide over it. Another characteristic of these birds is that they lack rowing feathers –or they have stunted-, which is why they are called impennes. Its plumage, hard, small and compact, seems more made up of scales than true feathers.
The wings, armed with short and thick bones, resemble the fins of a shark and are not useful for flying. They use them as fins in the water, which allows them to swim with great ease. If you want to know more about this fascinating group of birds, read on.
Are there many birds that walk upright?
The answer is yes. Here is a list of the most curious animals that are categorized in the taxonomic group of penguins. Do not miss them.
The largest penguin in the world
The place of honor among the birds that walk upright belongs to the emperor penguin. Aptenodytes forsteri reaches up to one and a half meters in size. Native to Antarctica, it nests in ice during winter.
In this species it is the male who incubates the egg and for two months it remains without eating or moving, holding it with its feet so that it does not touch the cold ice. When the chick is born, the mother has already returned from the sea to feed it, and the male goes to the water, where it will regain strength by feeding.
The royal penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus , a resident of the subantarctic islands, is somewhat smaller than the emperor, but its appearance is identical and it has the same majestic gait. Its body is hydrodynamic, with a thick layer of fat under the skin that insulates it from the temperature of the water.
Likewise, the male keeps his only egg under his feet, protecting it with a fold of abdominal skin, while the female is absent to regain energy. Then they incubate it between them. The baby is left alone when it grows up and, grouping itself with other babies, forms a nursery from which its parents rescue it later, calling out to it.
On the other hand, this species forms gigantic colonies when it remains on the coast during the reproductive season. A colony on the South Georgia Islands is estimated at 200,000 birds.
Adelie Penguin
Pygoscelis adeliae , which is only 18 inches tall, lives on the icy beaches of Antarctica, where numerous expeditions have built camps and landing strips. In ancient times it was sacrificed to feed sled dogs, but today it is much more protected.
In spring, these birds arrive in an endless line from the frozen sea, where food abounds. Veteran males search the snow for their old nest and settle there. As they wait for their companion to arrive, they point their beaks to the sky and flap their wings, letting out a scream that resembles a braying.
Those who are going to breed for the first time, collect pebbles and carry them to the place where the female is installed, dropping them at her feet. She takes them to form a circle around her, along with dry grass, thus forming the nest.
Other birds that walk upright
In addition to these banners of the fauna variety in the world of penguins, there are many more. We tell you about them in the following lines.
The african penguin
Spheniscus demersus or Cape penguin is characterized by its bad character, since it easily bites whoever gets in front of it. It is also distinguished by its verbal intemperance: when 3 or 4 individuals start chatting, they make such a fuss that it seems like a highway at rush hour.
The yellow-eyed penguin
Megadyptes antipodes contrasts, in many respects, with the rest of its congeners. This bird builds nests scattered among the dense vegetation of the southern islands of New Zealand, where it forms massive colonies. In addition, some individuals nest in the hollows or crevices of the rocks.
Juanito
Pygoscelis papua , with a sociable and quarrelsome temperament, is a type of bird that forms large colonies. When a ship approaches its beach, the specimens gather in their thousands to observe the strangers. It is a very curious bird.
A motley group
As we have seen, there are numerous species of penguins throughout the world. All of them have those characteristic gaits that have given rise to endless comics. They are one of the groups of birds most different from the general idea that we have of these animals. However, they are great representatives of the animal kingdom for many other reasons.
