Emperor penguin: The Antarctic father who incubates through winter

The emperor penguin is the largest penguin in Antarctica and one of the world's most devoted parents. Most surprising of all: the one that incubates the egg is not the mother but the father — and he does it through the Antarctic's coldest, darkest winter. Let's meet it.

Its body

The emperor penguin measures about 1 to 1.3 metres, making it the biggest penguin. It has a thick layer of fat and tightly packed feathers that hold off the Antarctic cold. Its feet and wings are perfectly built for swimming and diving — it is a diving champion, able to reach depths beyond five hundred metres to catch fish. Its slender bill suits catching fish and krill.

How it breeds

Emperor penguins breed in the Antarctic winter. After the female lays a single egg she hands it to the male and heads to sea to feed. The male then stands without eating for about two months, balancing the egg on his feet and covering it with a brood pouch that hangs from his belly, living off stored fat through blizzard after blizzard.

Once the chick hatches, the chicks huddle together in a big crèche for warmth, while the parents take turns bringing fish and krill from the coast. This division of labour lets emperor penguins raise their young in one of the harshest places on Earth.

Where it is found

Emperor penguins live on the ice around Antarctica. They breed in groups that can be very large. Because climate change affects sea ice, their breeding grounds are under threat and the species is closely watched by scientists.

A note for grown-ups

You could talk with a child about the father who incubates the egg: how can he go two months without eating? Because he lives off the fat he stored beforehand. Letting a child feel how hard an animal will work to raise its young fosters a real respect for life.