Behavior & Breeding

How do penguins communicate?

Penguins communicate through a combination of vocalizations, visual displays, and body postures. Each penguin has a unique call that allows its mate and chick to recognize it among thousands in a colony. Emperor penguin chicks can identify their parents' calls within a colony of tens of thousands. King penguins use a two-voice system, producing two simultaneous frequencies that create a unique vocal signature. Visual displays include head-swinging, flipper-patting, bowing, and the "ecstatic display" where a penguin stretches its head skyward and brays loudly to establish territory and attract mates.