15 Penguin Pictures That Will Absolutely Melt Your Heart
Updated: Aug. 02, 2021
They wear tuxedos daily with panache and they waddle. What's not to love?
Penguins are among the most social birds on the planet
There are 17 known species of penguin, and all of them are highly social, which is why penguin pictures often depict more than one penguin at a time. When you see a photo of a lone penguin, it could be because the penguin in question is on its way to dive for food—which some species of penguin prefer to do alone, according to the penguin experts at SeaWorld.
Hundreds of thousands can live together…
All species of penguin live in colonies known as “rookeries” during the breeding season. Some rookeries include hundreds of thousands of penguins and cover hundreds of square kilometers. Don’t miss these 27 funny but totally real names for groups of animals.
…but King Penguins prefer traveling in smaller groups
King penguins, which are identifiable by their golden-orange markings on their head and neck, are known to be very friendly with one another in their rookeries, but when it comes time to travel, they tend to break off into smaller groups of between 5 and 20 individuals.
Do penguins really mate for life?
A popular myth about penguins is they’re strictly monogamous. While some species do tend toward choosing lifetime partners, not all do, and the penguin experts at SeaWorld note that some pengins—both males and females—have multiple partners per season. So what’s going on this penguin picture? Here are 11 animals that actually stay monogamous for life.
“Hi, honey, I’m home.”
African penguins are one notably monogamous penguin species. (They only seek out a new partner if their partnership hasn’t resulted in babies.) This couple, shown during mating season, look like they’re perfectly content with one another.
Like an old married couple
Of course, even the happiest of couples have been known to bicker at times. These two Falkland Island penguins appear to be arguing with one another, although if you asked them, they’d probably say, “We’re not arguing, we’re having a discussion.” Here are 22 more hilarious bird photos you shouldn’t miss.
Penguins, they’re just like us…
It appears this penguin couple is having the same argument you have with your spouse every single time you travel. We imagine it’s going something like this: “Go ask that guy for directions.” “I know where I’m going.” “We’ve been walking in circles for hours!”
When couples start to look alike
You know those couples who almost look like they could be brother and sister? When we see penguin pictures like this one, it’s hard to argue that penguins and humans don’t share that trait.
Baby penguins are known as “chicks”
These emperor penguin chicks are still so young, they haven’t yet acquired the distinctive coloring of emperor penguin adults, which have yellowy-gold markings on the side of their head and neck. You’ll love these adorable animal photos that are guaranteed to make your day.
Emperor penguins are the tallest species of penguin
Sometimes penguin pictures can inadvertently hide how tall the penguins in them actually are. For example, this emperor penguin may be close to four feet tall, which is the height of an average human six-year-old.
Rockhopper penguins
You can tell this is a rockhopper penguin because of the distinctive crest of spiky yellow and black feathers that adorns its head.
Penguins feed their young by regurgitation
“The adult penguin will partially digest the fish or other food,” explains Sciencing.com. It can take several hours, but once the penguin determines the food’s been digested enough, it’s coughed back up and fed to the chick. The penguins pictured here are king penguins (king penguin chicks are born brown, and when they get older, they molt, and their feathers are replaced with their distinctive adult coat). Don’t miss these 13 facts about penguins (and how to help them).
Male Adélie penguins help out around the house
Pictures of animals taking care of their young are, more often than not, pictures of female animals. Not so with penguin pictures. Here, a male Adélie penguin, native to Antarctica, shares in the egg-sitting duties.
Where in the world was this penguin picture taken?
If you guessed someplace south of the equator, you’re probably right, except that this happens to be a photo of a Galapagos penguin, the only species of penguin known to venture north of the equator. Next, here are 15 more ridiculously adorable penguin photos to warm your heart.
