Birds, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 26, 2022

Emperor penguins join threatened species list, thanks to climate change

Climate change has pushed emperor penguins, the largest species of penguin on Earth, onto the threatened species list, which means the iconic Antarctic birds are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. A study published last year highlighted the imminent threats to the survival of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri)....

Jan 19, 2023

Hidden, never-before-seen penguin colony spotted from space

A never-before-seen emperor penguin colony — one of only 66 known to exist — has been spotted by accident in satellite photographs of West Antarctica that clearly show their guano, or droppings, staining the ice. The colony is estimated to be home to about 1,000 adult birds, in 500 pairs...

Feb 8, 2023

Largest penguin ever discovered weighed a whopping 340 pounds, fossils reveal

Scientists have unearthed the fossilized remains of the largest ever known penguin on Earth, a 340-pound (154 kilograms) behemoth that glided through the oceans around what is now New Zealand more than 50 million years ago. The fossils of this newfound species, Kumimanu fordycei, were found alongside eight other specimens...

Jul 6, 2023

Adorable extinct penguin was one of the smallest of its kind to ever walk Earth, tiny skull fossils reveal

Scientists have uncovered the twee remains of one of the smallest extinct penguin species ever found, which waddled around New Zealand around 3 million years ago. Researchers unearthed two fossilized skulls belonging to the newly discovered species, named Wilson's little penguin (Eudyptula wilsonae), in the southern Taranaki region of the...

Aug 24, 2023

Mass die-off strikes endangered emperor penguin chicks across 4 of 5 West Antarctica colonies

A massive die-off has hit emperor penguin chicks from four colonies in West Antarctica due to record-smashing low sea ice this year, a new study finds. The finding supports predictions that 98% of all emperor penguin colonies could become quasi-extinct by 2100, meaning the number of surviving penguins may be...

Jan 24, 2024

4 never-before-seen emperor penguin colonies discovered in Antarctica, thanks to poop smears spotted from space

By searching through satellites for poop trails in Antarctica, a scientist recently identified four previously undiscovered emperor penguin colonies. This brings the total number of known breeding colonies for this vulnerable species to 66, according to a paper published Jan. 20 in the journal Antarctic Science. The findings give us...