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All About Penguins

Penguins are flightless seabirds with 18 species, including the emperor penguin, which is the largest at 120cm, and the blue penguin, the smallest at 30cm. They primarily inhabit the southern hemisphere, often in cold regions, and have adaptations for swimming and diving. Penguins face threats from overfishing and climate change, which may impact their populations and habitats.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
62 views18 pages

All About Penguins

Penguins are flightless seabirds with 18 species, including the emperor penguin, which is the largest at 120cm, and the blue penguin, the smallest at 30cm. They primarily inhabit the southern hemisphere, often in cold regions, and have adaptations for swimming and diving. Penguins face threats from overfishing and climate change, which may impact their populations and habitats.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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All About Penguins

Penguins are flightless seabirds and there are 18 different species of them. The largest
species of penguin is called the emperor penguin and they can measure up
to 120cm. The smallest penguin (known as the blue penguin, little penguin
or fairy penguin) only grows to approximately 30cm. A group of penguins
on land can be called a colony, a rookery or a huddle while a group of
swimming penguins is called a raft.

Appearance Habitat
Adult penguins can be identified by The majority of penguins live in
their black bodies and white stomachs. the southern hemisphere and they
The colouration of their feathers generally live on islands or remote
helps them camouflage and protect regions near the coast. While many
themselves from predators, such as penguins live in cold regions, such as
leopard seals, sharks and orcas. Antarctica, some species are
Baby penguins are known as chicks found in warmer climates.
and they are born with grey, white For example, the Galápagos
or brown feathers. penguin lives off the coast

To protect them from cold of Ecuador.

temperatures, penguins’ bodies


have a thick layer of blubber and their
feathers are oily; this helps keep water
Diet
Penguins generally eat small sea
out and traps warm air against the
creatures, such as fish, squid and krill.
skin. Additionally, penguins’ bodies
Amazingly, they can spend up to 75
are adapted to help them dive
per cent of their lives in the water and
and swim quickly in the sea.
they spend a lot of their time hunting
They have webbed feet,
for prey.
stiff flippers and
sleek-shaped bodies.

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All About Penguins

Behaviour
Threats
As penguins have short legs, they
Unfortunately, there are a number
tend to waddle on land and they use
of threats that penguins face in the
different techniques to help them
wild. Some species are at risk due
travel faster. Penguins that live in
to overfishing. Additionally, climate
polar climates move across the ice or
change is thought by many people to
snow quickly by ‘tobogganing’. This
be the biggest threat to the penguin
is when penguins slide across the ice
population in Antarctica and there are
on their stomach and push
fears that the population will reduce
with their feet. They use
rapidly in the future. As ice
their flippers to help
melts in the polar regions
them move and balance.
due to rising temperatures,
penguins may be forced to
search for new habitats.
Penguins often keep warm by
huddling together and they breed in
large groups called nesting colonies.
Depending on the species, female
penguins lay between one and three
eggs. Male and female penguins take
it in turns to look after the eggs,
apart from emperor penguins where
the eggs are looked after exclusively
by the males. While one penguin
looks after the egg, the other travels
to the sea and goes hunting.
Penguins look after the eggs
by balancing them on their
feet and covering them with
Glossary
a feathered pouch to keep
blubber: The fat of some sea creatures.
them warm. krill: Small shellfish.

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All About Penguins

Questions
1. Which of the following do penguins eat? Tick three.

fish
leopard seals
squid
krill

2. Draw four lines and match each sub-heading to the corresponding sentence
from that section.

While many penguins live in cold


Appearance regions, such as Antarctica, some
species are found in warmer climates.

As ice melts in the polar regions due


Habitat to rising temperatures, penguins may
be forced to search for new habitats.

Baby penguins are known


Behaviour as chicks and they are born
with grey, white or brown feathers.

They use their flippers to help


Threats
them move and balance.


3. What is the largest species of penguin?

4. Fill in the missing word.

Adult penguins can be by their black bodies and white stomachs.

5. Look at the sub-heading Habitat. Find and copy one word which means the same
as ‘a piece of land surrounded by water’.

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All About Penguins

6. Why do you think the author chose to organise the text with sub-headings?

7. Summarise what you have learnt about the behaviour of penguins in 30 words or fewer.

8. Why do you think overfishing is a threat for penguins?

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All About Penguins

Answers
1. Which of the following do penguins eat? Tick three.

fish
leopard seals
squid
krill

2. Draw four lines and match each sub-heading to the corresponding sentence
from that section.

While many penguins live in cold


Appearance regions, such as Antarctica, some
species are found in warmer climates.

As ice melts in the polar regions due


Habitat to rising temperatures, penguins may
be forced to search for new habitats.

Baby penguins are known


Behaviour as chicks and they are born
with grey, white or brown feathers.

They use their flippers to help


Threats
them move and balance.


3. What is the largest species of penguin?


The largest species of penguin is the emperor penguin.

4. Fill in the missing word.


Adult penguins can be identified by their black bodies and white stomachs.

5. Look at the sub-heading Habitat. Find and copy one word which means the same
as ‘a piece of land surrounded by water’.
islands

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All About Penguins

6. Why do you think the author chose to organise the text with sub-headings?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think the author chose to organise the text
in sub-headings so that the reader can locate information quickly about different
subjects, such as the penguins’ diet or appearance.

7. Summarise what you have learnt about the behaviour of penguins in 30 words or fewer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: Penguins waddle on land so they slide across ice on
their stomach to move quickly. This is called 'tobogganing'. They like to keep warm
by huddling together.

8. Why do you think overfishing is a threat for penguins?


Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think overfishing is a threat for penguins because
there may not be enough food for them and they will compete against each other
for fish.

Page 2 of 2 visit twinkl.com


All About Penguins
Penguins are flightless seabirds and there are 18 different species of them.
The largest species of penguin – the emperor penguin – can measure up
to 120cm while the smallest penguin (known as the blue penguin, little
penguin or fairy penguin) only grows to approximately 30cm. A group
of penguins on land can be called a colony, a rookery or a huddle while a
group of swimming penguins is called a raft.

Appearance Habitat
Adult penguins can be identified by their The majority of penguins live in the
black bodies and white stomachs. The southern hemisphere and they
colouration of their feathers helps them generally live on islands or remote
camouflage with their surroundings and regions near the coast. While many
protect themselves from predators, such penguins live in cold regions, such
as leopard seals, sharks and orcas. Some as Antarctica, some species are
species, such as crested penguins, have located in warmer climates; for
yellow feathers that stick out from the side example, the Galápagos penguin
of their heads. Baby penguins, which are lives off the coast of Ecuador.
known as chicks, have different colourings
to adult penguins. Generally, they are born
with grey, white or brown feathers. Diet
Penguins generally eat small sea
To protect them from cold temperatures,
creatures, such as fish, squid and krill
penguins’ bodies have a thick layer of
(a type of small shellfish). Amazingly,
blubber (fat) and their feathers are oily; this
they can spend up to 75 per cent of
helps keep water out and traps warm air
their lives in the water and they spend
against the skin. Additionally, penguins’
a lot of their time there hunting for
bodies are adapted to help them
prey. Chicks cannot digest food like
dive and swim quickly in the sea.
adult penguins; therefore, the parent
They have webbed feet,
penguin swallows the food, brings it
stiff flippers and
back up and allows the chick to
sleek-shaped bodies.
feed from its bill.

Page 1 of 2 visit twinkl.com


All About Penguins

Behaviour Threats
As penguins have short legs, they tend to Unfortunately, there are a number
waddle on land; therefore, penguins use of threats that penguins face in the
different techniques to help them travel wild. Some species are at risk due to
faster. Penguins that live in polar climates overfishing; this then leads to penguins
move across the ice or snow quickly with an competing for food. Climate change
approach known as ‘tobogganing’. This is is considered by many people to be
when penguins slide across the ice on their the biggest threat to the penguin
stomach and push with their feet. population in Antarctica and there
They use their flippers to help are fears that the population will
them move and balance. reduce rapidly in the future.
As ice melts in the polar
regions due to rising
Penguins often keep warm by huddling
temperatures, penguins
together and they breed in large groups
may be forced to search
called nesting colonies. Depending on the
for new habitats.
species, female penguins lay between one
and three eggs. Male and female penguins
take it in turns to look after the eggs, apart
from emperor penguins where the eggs are
looked after exclusively by the males. While
one penguin looks after the egg, the other
travels to the sea and goes hunting. Penguins
look after the eggs by balancing them on
their feet and covering them with a feathered
pouch to keep them warm. As the chicks start
to grow older, the adult penguins
leave them together in groups
called crèches while they hunt in
the sea. When the chicks are old
enough to swim, they head to the
water themselves to hunt for fish.

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All About Penguins

Questions
1. Which one of these is not the name of the smallest species of penguin? Tick one.

blue penguin
elf penguin
fairy penguin
little penguin

2. Draw four lines and match each sub-heading to the corresponding sentence from
that section.

 Penguins generally eat small sea


 Appearance
creatures, such as fish, squid and krill.

 As penguins have short legs,
 Diet
they tend to waddle on land.


Climate change is considered by many

Behaviour people to be the biggest threat to the

penguin population in Antarctica.


 Some species, such as crested penguins,
 Threats have yellow feathers that stick out
 from the side of their heads.

3. Name two predators of penguins.

• 

• 

4. Fill in the missing words.

The majority of penguins live in the southern and they

generally live on islands or regions near the coast.

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All About Penguins

5. Look at the sub-heading Threats. Find and copy one word which means the same
as ‘decrease’.

6. Why do you think the technique where penguins move quickly across the ice
is called ‘tobogganing’?

7. Compare how emperor penguins are different from other penguins.

8. Summarise what penguins look like in 25 words or fewer.

9. Look at the subheading Threats. How do you think the author feels about the threats
that penguins face and why?

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All About Penguins

Answers
1. Which one of these is not the name of the smallest species of penguin? Tick one.

blue penguin
elf penguin
fairy penguin
little penguin

2. Draw four lines and match each sub-heading to the corresponding sentence from
that section.

Penguins generally eat small sea


 Appearance
creatures, such as fish, squid and krill.

 As penguins have short legs,
 Diet
they tend to waddle on land.


Climate change is considered by many

Behaviour people to be the biggest threat to the

penguin population in Antarctica.


 Some species, such as crested penguins,
 Threats have yellow feathers that stick out
 from the side of their heads.

3. Name two predators of penguins.
Accept any two of the following: leopard seals; sharks; orcas.

4. Fill in the missing words.


The majority of penguins live in the southern hemisphere and they generally live on
islands or remote regions near the coast.

5. Look at the sub-heading Threats. Find and copy one word which means the same
as ‘decrease’.
reduce

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All About Penguins

6. Why do you think the technique where penguins move quickly across the ice
is called ‘tobogganing’?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think the technique where penguins move quickly
across the ice is called ‘tobogganing’ because sledges or toboggans slide down ice and
snow at speed.

7. Compare how emperor penguins are different from other penguins.


Pupils’ own responses, such as: Emperor penguins are different from other penguins
because they are the largest species of penguins and also it is the males who
exclusively look after the eggs.

8. Summarise what penguins look like in 25 words or fewer.


Pupils’ own responses, such as: Adult penguins have black and white bodies while the
chicks have grey, white or brown feathers. They have webbed feet and stiff flippers.

9. Look at the subheading Threats. How do you think the author feels about the threats
that penguins face and why?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think the author feels sad and is worried about the
threats that penguins face because they use the word 'unfortunately'.

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All About Penguins
Penguins are flightless seabirds and there are 18 different species of them. The gentoo
penguin, which is the fastest-swimming penguin, is estimated to swim up to 36km per
hour. The largest species of penguin – the emperor penguin – can measure up to 120cm
while the smallest penguin (known as the blue penguin, little penguin or fairy penguin)
only grows to approximately 30cm. A group of penguins on land can be called a colony,
a rookery or a huddle while a group of swimming penguins is called a raft.

Appearance Habitat
Adult penguins can be identified by their black The majority of penguins live in the
bodies and white stomachs. The colouration southern hemisphere and they generally
of their feathers helps them camouflage with live on islands or remote regions near the
their surroundings and protect themselves from coast. While many penguins live in cold
predators, such as leopard seals, sharks and regions, such as Antarctica, some species
orcas. Some species, such as crested penguins, are located in warmer climates; for
have yellow feathers that stick out from the example, the Galápagos penguin
side of their heads. Baby penguins, which are lives off the coast of Ecuador.
known as chicks, have different colourings to
adult penguins. Generally, they are born with Diet
grey, white or brown plumage, which changes Penguins generally eat small sea
to the typical adult feathers when they are creatures, such as fish, squid and krill
approximately one. (a type of crustacean). Amazingly, they
To protect them from cold temperatures, can spend up to 75 per cent of their lives
penguins’ bodies have a thick layer of blubber in the water and they spend a lot of their
(fat) and their feathers are oily; this helps time there hunting for prey. Additionally,
insulate them by keeping water out and penguins who live in colder climates
trapping warm air against the skin. use their sharp bills to scrape krill off
Additionally, penguins’ bodies are the underside of the ice. Chicks cannot
adapted to help them dive and swim digest food like adult penguins; therefore,
quickly in the sea; they have the parent penguin swallows the food,
webbed feet, stiff flippers regurgitates it and allows the
and sleek-shaped bodies. chick to feed from its bill.

Page 1 of 2 visit twinkl.com


All About Penguins

Behaviour Threats
As penguins have short legs, they tend to Unfortunately, there are a number
waddle on land; therefore, penguins use of threats that penguins face in the
different techniques to help them travel wild. Some species are at risk due to
faster. Penguins that live in polar climates overfishing. Industrial fishing has
move across the ice or snow quickly with an significantly reduced fish supplies which
approach known as ‘tobogganing’. This is then leads to penguins competing for
when penguins slide across the ice on their food. Climate change is considered by
stomach and push with their feet. many people to be the biggest threat to
They use their flippers to help the penguin population in Antarctica
them move and balance. and there are fears that the population
will reduce rapidly in the future.

Penguins often keep warm by huddling As ice melts in the polar

together and they breed in large groups regions due to rising

called nesting colonies. Depending on the temperatures, penguins

species, female penguins lay between one and may be forced to search

three eggs. Male and female penguins take for new habitats.

it in turns to look after the eggs, apart from


emperor penguins where the eggs are looked
after exclusively by the males. While one
penguin looks after the egg, the other travels
to the sea and goes hunting. Penguins look
after the eggs by balancing them on their feet
and covering them with a feathered pouch to
keep them warm. The incubation period
lasts approximately 2 months before a chick
hatches from an egg. As the chicks start to
grow older, the adult penguins leave them
together in groups called crèches while
they hunt in the sea. When the chicks
are old enough to swim, they head
to the water themselves to hunt for fish.

Page 2 of 2 visit twinkl.com


All About Penguins

Questions
1. Which one of these words does not describe a group of penguins on land? Tick one.

colony
rookery
raft
huddle

2. Underline one word in the quotation below that means the same as ‘suited’
or ‘adjusted to’.
Additionally, penguins’ bodies are adapted to help them dive and swim quickly
in the sea; they have webbed feet, stiff flippers and sleek-shaped bodies.

3. Name two types of food that penguins eat.

• 

• 

4. Fill in the missing words.

The period lasts 2 months before a chick

hatches from an egg.

5. Look at the sub-heading Appearance. Find and copy one word which means
the same as ‘feathers’.

6. Compare how penguins are different from some other birds.

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All About Penguins

7. Why do you think one penguin always stays behind to look after the egg?

8. As penguins have short legs, they tend to waddle on land…


What does the word ‘waddle’ tell us about how penguins move?

9. Summarise what you have learnt about the threats to penguins in 30 words or fewer.

10. Tick one box in each row to show whether each statement is true or false.

True False

A penguin hunts leopard seals.

Galápagos penguins live off the coast of Greece.

Penguins’ feathers help them camouflage


with their surroundings.

Penguins have a thick layer of blubber.

Penguins balance the egg on their stomachs.

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All About Penguins

Answers
1. Which one of these words does not describe a group of penguins on land? Tick one.

colony
rookery
raft
huddle

2. Underline one word in the quotation below that means the same as ‘suited’
or ‘adjusted to’.
Additionally, penguins’ bodies are adapted to help them dive and swim quickly
in the sea; they have webbed feet, stiff flippers and sleek-shaped bodies.
Award 1 mark for:
• adapted

3. Name two types of food that penguins eat.


Accept any two of the following: fish; squid; krill.

4. Fill in the missing words.


The incubation period lasts approximately 2 months before a chick hatches from an egg.

5. Look at the sub-heading Appearance. Find and copy one word which means
the same as ‘feathers’.
plumage

6. Compare how penguins are different from some other birds.


Pupils’ own responses, such as: Penguins are different from some other birds because
they cannot fly.

7. Why do you think one penguin always stays behind to look after the egg?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think one penguin always stays behind to look after
the egg so that it is safe and not taken by predators.

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All About Penguins

8. As penguins have short legs, they tend to waddle on land…


What does the word ‘waddle’ tell us about how penguins move?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think the word ‘waddle’ tells us that penguins take
short steps and they move from side to side as they walk.

9. Summarise what you have learnt about the threats to penguins in 30 words or fewer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: Overfishing has reduced the food that penguins eat.
Climate change is thought to be a big threat because penguins' habitats are at risk
due to rising temperatures and melting ice.

10. Tick one box in each row to show whether each statement is true or false.

True False

A penguin hunts leopard seals.

Galápagos penguins live off the coast of Greece.

Penguins’ feathers help them camouflage


with their surroundings.

Penguins have a thick layer of blubber.

Penguins balance the egg on their stomachs.

Award 2 marks for all five correct.


Award 1 mark for four correct.

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