Description: Penguin Any of 18 species (order Sphenisciformes) of flightless seabirds that breed mainly on islands in subantarctic waters and on cool coasts of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. A few species inhabit temperate regions, and the Gal¨¢pagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) lives in the equatorial tropics off South America.... ( +expand to view full text )

Description: Penguin Any of 18 species (order Sphenisciformes) of flightless seabirds that breed mainly on islands in subantarctic waters and on cool coasts of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. A few species inhabit temperate regions, and the Gal¨¢pagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) lives in the equatorial tropics off South America. Species differ mainly in size and head pattern; all have a dark back and a white belly. The smallest species, the little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), is about 16 in. (40 cm) tall; the largest, the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), is almost 4 ft (120 cm) tall. At sea for weeks at a time, flocks feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans .