Kōrero: Penguins

From wings to flippers

From wings to flippers

Penguins have evolved from birds that used to fly. At some stage the penguin ancestors became increasingly adept at swimming and lost the ability to fly. In the trade-off, their short powerful wings make excellent flippers for ‘flying’ underwater, being less fragile and creating less drag than the long wings of many other seabirds. Another advantage of giving up flight is that they can put on weight. The ability to store food reserves as fat is an advantage for birds that have to travel far to obtain food, and larger penguins can dive deeper and for longer. The image shows Snares crested penguins.

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Adelie Productions
Photograph by Lloyd Spencer Davis

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Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Lloyd Spencer Davis, 'Penguins - New Zealand’s penguins', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/photograph/6380/from-wings-to-flippers (accessed 29 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Lloyd Spencer Davis, i tāngia i te 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 11 Jul 2016