The Emperor Penguin at 540 metre or 1,772 feet.

The Emperor Penguin - Aptenodytes forsteri - is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. They have a lifespan of 20 years in the wild.

Description

It has a streamlined body to minimise drag while swimming, and wings that have become stiff, flat flippers. The male and female are similar in plumage and size. The head and back are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches.

Call

They have the widest variation in individual calls of all penguins. Vocalizing Emperor Penguins use two frequency bands simultaneously. Chicks use a frequency-modulated whistle to beg for food and to contact parents.

Food

Food consists primarily of fish, but crustaceans, krill and squid are eaten. It has been recorded staying submerged for 18minutes.

Breeding

This is the  only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter. It breeds in large breeding colonies which can include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed. The parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony.

Conservation Status – Least Concern

The Emperor Penguin population is estimated at about 200,000 breeding pairs and declining largely due to due to global climate change, habitat destruction and disturbance at breeding colonies by humans.