Penguin sighting, penguin sighting!!! We have finally seen some penguins!
So this journal is brought to you by:
- Mrs. Russell and her Kindergarten students at Hutchison School
- Melody Tannehill and her Kindergarten students at Hutchison School
- Mrs. Trotz and her 2nd grade students at Grahamwood Elementary
- Brenda Parker and her 2nd grade students at Jackson Elementary
- Candice Golden and her 5th grade students at Jackson Elementary
- Bailey Station 4th grade APEX
- Becky Shimp and her St. Edwards Middle School students
A Closer Look at …Emperor penguins
When I mention the word 'penguin', what kind of picture do you get in your head? Did you know there are seventeen species of penguins and six of those species live in Antarctica?
They are: Adélies, Chinstraps, Emperors, Gentoos, Macaronis, and Rockhoppers. Those are some really fun names for penguins! What about these names - Mumble, Norma Jean, and Memphis? Do those names remind you of anything? Oh-Happy Feet!
My head is filled with Emperor penguins. They are the world’s largest penguins. I saw Happy Feet Two! Have you seen it? The Krill are just Crazy!! They look like shrimp. You know real penguins eat real krill.
What’s for Supper, Mom?
Penguins dine from a seafood menu that includes squid, krill, and fish such as the Antarctic silverfish. There are large schools of fish in the cold waters of the Southern Hemisphere. Emperor penguin chicks hatch during the time when food is most plentiful in Antarctica.
Measuring Up
Hey - Let’s do some comparison measurements - from tiny krill, to Emperor penguins, to YOU!
- Get out that ruler! Find a yard stick! Don't forget the pencil!
- Look for an empty space on a wall or use a door jam.
Now let's do some measuring! Antarctic krill can be 2.3 inches long - that’s about 6 centimeters. So, let’s make this easy.
- Measure two inches up from the floor for a krill (as if it’s crawling on the wall). You can go for the centimeter measurement if you like.
- Use a 'sticky note or piece of masking tape to mark your measurements. Please don’t write on the wall!!!!
- Measure forty-four inches up from the floor for an Emperor penguin. (111.76 cm) - That’s the average height of an adult.
Mark that with a sticky note as you did before.
Stand with your back against the wall next to the measurements. Put your hand at the top of your head; rest it against the wall, and turn around to look at your height. Mark it if you'd like.
How do you compare?
Are you taller than an Emperor penguin? How about the krill? I feel sure you've got them beat!
Coming soon - Picture of me with Emperor penguins!
Now, imagine being right in the middle of a colony of these incredible birds. Surrounded by Emperors! Would you be looking up at them or down onto the tops of their heads? I would be looking down onto the tops of their feathery heads! How COOL would that be?
Emperor Chicks - Where’s your Nest?
Emperor penguins do not make nests. Uh-huh, we know from pictures and the movies that the Daddy keeps the egg warm by balancing it on his feet. Male Emperor penguins incubate the eggs. In May, which is the beginning of winter in Antarctica, the female lays one egg and turns it over to the male. Then she goes off looking for food. That means the male doesn’t get to eat for months. WOW! He stands, keeping that egg on his webbed feet. The egg stays warm covered by a roll of skin called a “brood pouch”.
Quick - Get into a Huddle!
Cold winds blow and temperatures can drop to -75F°. To keep warm, the soon-to-be-daddies form a tight huddle. It is winter and dark most of the time, so the males sleep to conserve their energy. Oh, but wait! Those huddles move. The penguins in the middle of the huddle are, of course, the warmest but they are considerate. The middle-of-the-huddle penguins will waddle towards the outside of the huddle so the outside-of-the-huddle penguins get a turn to be warmer in the middle. How polite! All the time they are moving they are balancing those eggs.
When the chick hatches, the female returns to watch her chick, while the males go on a diving expedition to look for food. And he really needs it after going without food that long! Males can lose almost half of their body weight while incubating the egg. So, if an adult can weigh up to eighty-eight pounds - can you calculate how much he might weigh after holding that egg on his feet for four months?
Who is Singing?
Penguins do not sing – or do they? Just listen to these Emperor penguins: Click here: Emperor penguins at Auster Rookery - chick's call is short and high pitched, adult's call is longer and deeper
And just for fun! Click here: An Emperor penguin sneeze.
A parent will always recognize the call of its baby. Even in a large colony where there are thousands of penguins, parents and their offspring will find each other. That is so incredible to me!
Start the Music – I’m Gonna Dance!
Maybe I will end up in the middle of a colony of Emperor penguins. If I do, I will be very excited and will take some pictures for you. I will probably have Happy Feet! Do you think I might start dancing and singing? That would be a picture!
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