What type of animal is a penguin?

Penguin. Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds. read more

IUCN classifies this species as "near threatened"; populations, especially in the northern part of the emperor penguin's range, are expected to decline within the next few generations as a result of projected climate change. read more

Size: The blue penguin, also known as the fairy penguin, is the smallest of the penguin species at 16 inches tall (.41m). It weighs about 2.2 (1 kg) pounds. The largest penguin species is the emperor penguin, which is about 3.7 feet (1.1m) tall and weighs between 60 and 90 pounds (27-41 kg). read more

king penguin chicks King penguin chicks (Aptenodytes patagonicus). © Rich Lindie/Shutterstock; The period of growth of the young bird from hatching to complete independence varies from two months, in the smallest species of the genus Eudyptula, to 5 1 / 2 months in the emperor and 12 to 14 months in the king penguin. read more