Penguins move in sync to keep warm, study shows
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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Penguins move in sync to keep warm, study shows
Photo by Paul Mannix
Scientists that study huddles of emperor penguins in Antarctica have discovered that waves of movement travel through gathered masses of birds that cannot fly, such as penguins.
Photo by peterp
Penguins move in ways that make the huddle’s density greater and keep the birds warm as they incubate their eggs. Emperor penguins are the only large, complex animal species that breeds during the Antarctic winter.
Photo by peterp
Emperor penguins face freezing winds that blow as fast as 124 miles per hour in an icy landscape that can be as cold as 58 degrees below zero.
Photo by peterp
This is why they huddle together against the harsh weather. Together, their bodies can raise the temperature within two hours to as high as 98.6 degrees.
Photo by peterp
At first glance, the penguins may not appear to move much. If you look at a penguin huddle, you hardly see any movement at all since they stand very still.
Photo by peterp
If you watch this huddle of shuffling penguins close enough and long enough, you will see distinct waves of motion emerge through the feathered masses as one penguin takes a step and the rest follow. This is a way of maintaining order.
Photo by peterp
