Penguins are birds. They can not fly. They are expert swimmers. They push themselves along with their flippers.

Penguins have black on their backs. They have white on their bellies. Penguins have webbed feet.

Penguins catch fish and other small sea animals to eat.

Leopard seals hunt penguins in the water. Killer whales do too.

Many penguins live in big groups called colonies. Some groups have thousands of birds. Some have even millions.

Penguins have a layer of fat under the skin. It helps keep them warm. Penguins huddle close together to stay warm.

The emperor penguin is the biggest penguin. The little penguin is the smallest kind of penguin.

Penguins lay only one or two eggs at a time. Parents take turns keeping the eggs warm.

King penguins do not build a nest. They carry the egg on their feet.

A father emperor penguin keeps the egg warm. The egg is on top of his feet. It is under a flap of skin.

Words to know

• colonies: penguin groups
• huddle: stand close