Characteristics: There are seventeen kinds of penguins. Penguins can't fly in the air because their bodies are far too heavy and wings much too small.
All birds are warm blooded. They keep their bodies at a constant temperature , no matter what the air temperature is.
The feathers overlap, making a covering three or four layers deep. Fluffy down, growing from the underside of the feathers, provides insulation. All penguins are basically the same color. Their backs are black or blue-gray and their bellies are white. On land, they are easily seen. In the water, they blend in and are not easily seen by their predators (seals and killer whales).
The gentoo penguin of Antarctica glides through the water with a maximum burst of speed of about 17 miles per hour.

Habitat: They live where most animals can't survive, on the frozen continent of Antarctica. They can also be found along the south coast of Australia, Africa, New Zealand, and the western coast of South America. Air temperatures are warm in these areas, but water temperatures are always cool because of currents that move northward from Antarctica.

Diet: They are underwater hunters and feed on small shrimp like animals called krill, squid, and a variety of fish. A daily meal is not a sure thing for king penguins and their chicks.
Adult males fast through most of the breeding season, and during their first winter unfledged chicks are rarely fed. Large fat deposits get them through these lean times.