What kind of holiday is this?

Penguin Awareness Day is an ecological holiday celebrated all over the world. The day was established to draw people’s attention to this strange bird, its numbers and habitats. Human actions in relation to the penguin’s natural habitats threaten to wipe out several varieties of this bird from the face of our planet. The date of the holiday is not accidental, because on January 20, the mass migration of flightless birds to the mainland for mating and hatching begins. It is worth saying that another holiday is dedicated to these birds – World Penguin Day, which is celebrated on April 25.

How did the idea to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day come about?

There are more than 18 species of flightless birds on Earth. The very word “penguin” began to be used at the beginning of the 16th century. There are three versions of the origin of the name of the birds. Some scientists believe that it came from the Welsh: “pin” – head, “gwyn” – white. There is also an opinion that from English penguin is translated as “pin wing”, and in Latin this word means “thick”.

Who are penguins?

Penguins belong to the family of flightless marine birds. However, these animals dive and swim perfectly. Emperor penguins are the largest representatives of the family, reaching 1 m 20 cm in length and 40-50 kg in weight. The smallest penguins include the so-called blue penguins with a height of 30 cm and a weight of 2-3 kg. Such a difference in the size of penguins is explained by Bergman’s rule, which stated that animals that live in cold regions are much larger in size than those that inhabit warm latitudes of the globe.

Where do they live?

It is common knowledge that these flightless birds inhabit the Antarctic and are also found in Australia, New Zealand, South America and Africa. Species of penguins that prefer cool climates are located near the cold currents of the ocean. There is always plenty of food there, and the heat is preserved thanks to a thick layer of fat. Thanks to fat and smooth feathers, which perfectly repels water, birds show excellent swimming and diving skills.

Penguins are social birds, so they live in colonies of up to several tens of thousands of individuals. The average lifespan of these animals is 20-30 years.

Why don’t penguins fly?

Scientists have been working on researching this issue for a long time. It was found that the ability of penguins to fly was lost as a result of evolution. As the birds were forced to dive to get food, their wings got smaller and their bodies, on the contrary, got bigger. Thus, the ability of these birds to fly was lost.

However, the ability to swim and dive only improved. The wings of animals are excellent fins that allow you to develop extraordinary speed and perform various maneuvers under water. Some varieties penguins able to develop a speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour and dive to a depth of half a kilometer.

What do they eat?

Penguins belong to waterfowl that live on the shores of seas and oceans, so they feed mainly on marine products – mollusks, crustaceans and fish. Animals consume their prey directly under water. Sometimes it is necessary to make up to 1000 dives to get enough, which takes a lot of strength and energy.

There is a certain period of time (1-3 months) when penguins are forced to completely give up food. At this time, they molt, lose 50% of their weight and use up available fat reserves. Penguins also starve during the incubation period, which lasts several months. However, females and males take turns separating to feed.

Threats facing flightless birds

Penguins usually settle in isolated territories, where adults are not threatened. At the same time, small chicks left on land without the protection of adults can be attacked by birds of prey. In the water, seals and lions, sharks and other predators are a threat to penguins.

Today, penguins are in danger of extinction. Bird species living in the Antarctic are suffering from melting ice. Penguins inhabiting Australia and New Zealand become victims of dogs and cats that were brought there by humans and eventually became feral. South African penguinsliving near ports, suffer from severe pollution from oil refineries. Galapagos penguins are on the verge of extinction because their eggs are eaten by travelers.

Over the last century, the number Antarctic penguins decreased by 50% due to human fishing of krill – the main source of food for this species.

How to celebrate Penguin Awareness Day?

Penguins are beautiful, friendly birds that evoke only positive emotions. Penguin Awareness Day allows you to learn more about these animals, study their habitat and investigate real threats to their population. This day is an occasion to think about what each of us can do to preserve the environment, its flora and fauna.

Supporters penguins and those who care can take part in the Penguin Watch international project on this day, within which you can help biologists monitor the life of penguins, count them in photographs. All counts are collected by specialists who analyze the information and determine how many birds inhabit this or that area. During the entire existence of the project, more than 50,000 people counted penguins on 5,000,000 photos.

On the day of spreading knowledge about penguins, you can visit the zoo where these amazing birds are. In order to increase awareness of these birds among the younger generation, interesting school lessons about penguins are held. In the family circle, you can watch an interesting film about these animals or watch an animated film where the main characters are penguins.

Why is this day important?

Penguin Awareness Day once again draws people’s attention to the state of the environment and habitats of wild animals and birds. Each person has the opportunity to think about how he can improve the conditions for penguins.

When will we celebrate Penguin Awareness Day?