Magellanic Penguins
The boldly banded Magellanic penguins live along the coast of southern South America, fishing the rich waters in the Strait of Magellan.
Gesundheit!
Magellanic penguins are swift swimmers, literally flying underwater as fast as 15 mph. But instead of wings, they have powerful flippers with broad, flat, fused bones that also enable them to dive for their prey, mainly anchovies, sardines and cephalopods. Penguins get all their water from their food, but it's salty. They have a unique way of excreting this salt — they sneeze.
Maintaining a Feather Dry Suit
Penguin feathers are small and densely packed — about 70 on a square inch of body surface. To maintain this warm, waterproof covering, they carefully clean and rearrange the feathers and preen with oil from a gland under their tail. Every year penguins replace all their feathers at once, in what scientists call a "catastrophic molt." Only after they have completely replumed, a process that takes a couple of weeks, can penguins swim and hunt again.
Meet the Penguins
From crested rockhoppers to smooth-swimming Magellanics, meet the penguins that call Shedd Aquarium home.
Shedd Penguins Stretch their Wings at Soldier Field
Four penguins from Shedd Aquariums stormed the stadium in a recent visit to the neighboring Soldier Field.
From Beak to Bottom: How Penguin Poop Can Inform Conservation
One penguin’s waste is another win for science! Researchers are studying what comes out of Magellanic penguins in Argentina to get a better idea...
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