Behavior & Breeding

How do emperor penguins breed?

Emperor penguins have the most extreme breeding cycle of any bird. They trek 50 to 120 km over sea ice in autumn to reach their breeding colonies. After the female lays a single egg, she transfers it to the male and returns to the sea to feed. The male then incubates the egg on his feet under a warm brood pouch for over two months, fasting throughout the Antarctic winter in temperatures that can drop below minus 40 degrees Celsius. Males lose around 12 kg during this fast. When the chick hatches, the male feeds it with a secretion from his esophagus until the female returns with a crop full of fish.