penguins

A massive baby penguin named Pesto is inhaling fish and winning fans

1:14pm September 20, 2024

Pesto, who weighs 46 pounds at just nine months old, has been on display at an Australian aquarium since April. As he grew, so did his social media fanbase — especially after a recent gender reveal.

Sphen, partner in a same-sex penguin couple, dies — and a colony sings

12:47pm August 23, 2024

When Magic saw Sphen's body, "he immediately started singing," and other penguins joined in, Renee Howell, the aquarium's penguin keeper, told Australia's ABC broadcaster.

A pair of male penguins named Elmer and Lima just became the first same-sex couple to foster an egg together at New York's Rosamond Gifford Zoo. They've been taking care of the chick since he hatched on Jan. 1.

National

Two male penguins welcome hatchling as New York zoo's 1st same-sex foster parents

3:26pm February 01, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo says Elmer and Lima are its first same-sex parents to successfully hatch an egg, calling the penguins "exemplary in every aspect of egg care."

The adventurous Adélie penguin is seen on the coast of Banks Peninsula in New Zealand on Friday after travelling from its natural habitat in Antarctica.

World News

An Antarctic penguin ends up on New Zealand shore, 3,100 miles from home

3:59pm November 13, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

This penguin's adventure might have taken a few wrong turns. It's only the third time an Adélie penguin is known to have made it to the shores of New Zealand.

Barbijo penguins gather on South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, in 2019. But that's probably not where their ancestors lived.

The Evolutionary History Of Penguins Is Far From Black And White

5:34pm August 18, 2020

New research suggests that penguins' ancestors originated not in frozen Antarctica but, instead, off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, adapting to new climes over 22 million years.

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Penguins were allowed to waddle through the galleries of Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Both the museum and the Kansas City Zoo — home to the penguins — have been closed because of the pandemic.

WATCH: Missouri Penguins Enjoy 'Morning Of Fine Art' At Local Museum

6:54pm May 15, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

The birds were allowed to waddle through the galleries of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Both the museum and the Kansas City Zoo, which is home to the penguins, have been closed due to the pandemic.

World News

It's A Chick! Sydney's Same-Sex Penguin Couple Welcome Baby

4:34am October 26, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

Sphen and Magic, a male penguin couple, are now dads to their newborn foster chick. The unnamed chick weighed in at 91 grams; its sex will be determined later by a DNA test.

Emperor penguins near Australia's Mawson research center in Antarctica took a video "selfie."

Science

Penguins Mug For Camera, Take A Pretty Great 'Selfie'

3:43pm March 09, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

You probably didn't know that emperor penguins are reasonably good at framing a video shot. At a research station in Antarctica, the curious animals provided a bird's-eye view.

An illustration comparing the giant penguin to an average person. Kumimanu biceae weighed about 220 pounds and was a bit shorter than 6 feet in height. It swam around off the coast of New Zealand between 55 and 60 million years ago.

Science

Giant Prehistoric Penguins Once Swam Off The Coast Of New Zealand

9:10pm December 12, 2017

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Scientists have uncovered the fossil of an ancestral penguin off the east coast of New Zealand. It was one of the earliest known species of penguin and also one of the largest.

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Science

Pity For Penguins: They Can't Taste Their Dinner

12:08pm February 17, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Savory fish are a staple for penguins, but the poor birds lack the ability to taste the umami flavor of their meals. One hypothesis? The genes at play got frozen out of commission.