The Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species, standing around 1.1 to 1.3 meters tall and weighing up to 40 kilograms. It breeds exclusively on the sea ice surrounding Antarctica, forming dense colonies where adults huddle together through winter temperatures that can drop below minus 60 degrees Celsius. As both predator and prey, Emperor Penguins are a keystone part of the Southern Ocean food web, feeding on fish, squid, and krill while supporting populations of leopard seals and orca.
The species is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, with climate change identified as the central long-term threat. Accelerating sea ice loss in the Bellingshausen Sea has already caused near-total breeding failure in some colonies, and a 2023 study published in Nature Climate Change found that all Emperor Penguin colonies could face quasi-extinction by 2100 under current greenhouse gas emission trajectories. Colonies also face pressure from commercial krill fishing, which reduces prey availability, and from increasing human disturbance linked to tourism and research activity in the region.
Emperor penguins stand about 3.7 feet (1.1 meters) tall, making them the tallest of all living penguin species. That height gives them enough body mass to fast for months during Antarctica's brutal winter breeding season, when males incubate a single egg on their feet without eating.
Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on Earth, reaching roughly 3.7 feet (1.1 meters) in height and up to 88 pounds (40 kg) in weight before a breeding fast. Their size is a cold-weather adaptation, reducing the ratio of skin surface to body volume and slowing heat loss in Antarctic temperatures that can drop to minus 40°F.
Emperor penguins typically weigh between 49 and 99 pounds (22 to 45 kg), with weight varying dramatically by season. Males lose roughly 45 percent of their body weight during the winter breeding fast, surviving on fat reserves while incubating their egg through Antarctic blizzards.
Emperor penguins breed exclusively on the sea ice surrounding Antarctica, with colonies found at sites including Cape Washington and Coulman Island. They forage in the Southern Ocean, diving to depths exceeding 1,800 feet (550 meters) to hunt fish, squid, and krill in some of the world's coldest waters.
Emperor penguins eat primarily Antarctic silverfish, squid, and krill, caught during deep dives in the Southern Ocean. They can hold their breath for over 20 minutes per dive, reaching depths that allow them to access prey well below the range of most other seabirds.
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the world's largest penguin species and a flightless seabird native to Antarctica, listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Its survival depends on stable sea ice for breeding, and accelerating ice loss driven by climate change is the primary threat to colonies across the continent.
No projects have listed this species yet. If you run a project that protects the Emperor Penguin, you can add it to Wildlife Connect.
