Penguins of the World Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chinstrap

The largest colony of this species populates Zavodovski Island, located in the farthest regions of the South Atlantic. Deception Island, the South Sandwich Islands and the South Shetland Islands are additional areas where this species of penguin can be found. Chinstraps have a facial design that is as unique as it is recognizable.

They really do look like they have a black strap that reaches from one cheek to the other. Both the males and females incubate eggs for six days. Chinstraps, like many penguin species, eat krill, fish, and squid. Predators include seal lions, leopard seals, and sharks.

Answer: Emperor

Emperor penguins are unique in that they are the only penguin species that breeds in winter. The female lays one egg but it is the male who incubates that egg while the female hunts for food. Emperor penguins can grow to over 50 inches in height and can weigh up to 100 lbs.

This species is well adapted to very cold climates. Emperors have an extra layer of blubber that protects them from extreme cold. Their bodies are designed to maintain their core body temperatures no matter what the outside temperature. Like other species, emperor penguins can fall prey to other animals. Leopard seals are a formidable foe even to fully grown emperors.

Answer: Yellow-eyed

The Maoris have a name for this species: "Hoiho". The name means "noise-shouter" and for good reason. These penguins are known for their very loud screams, especially while greeting each other. Habitat loss has significantly reduced the population of these shy birds. Like most penguins, they subsist on fish and squid. Being solitary creatures, they are more difficult to locate than other species and can sometimes be seen waddling alone back to the nest.

Answer: Macaroni

The name comes from an 18th century word for a type of plumed head-wear donned by upper-class men who paid particular attention to how they dressed. Macaroni penguins are not shy. They can be aggressive even towards bigger species of penguins. During incubation both the mother and father take turns staying at the nest. Macaroni penguins feed on krill, fish, and squid. Leopard seals and Antarctic fur seals are predators of this species while whales pose a threat in the water.

Answer: Magellanic

Traveling as far north as Rio De Janeiro, these penguins can be found along the coastlines of Argentina, Chile, and on the Falkland Islands. The adults have black backs with white chests. Each bird has two black bands encircling their necks. These penguins travel great distances in search of food and spend a great deal of time in the ocean searching for it.

Their diet includes anchovies, hake, sprat, and hagfish. Ocean predators include petrels, sea lions, and orcas. Land predators include foxes, armadillos, and gulls.

Answer: Fairy

These tiny birds only reach 13 inches tall and generally weigh less than 3 lbs. The majority inhabit the Australia mainland but they can also be found in Tasmania and New Zealand. Little blue penguins are creatures of habit and return to the same nesting area every year.

This species shares the duties of incubation and parenting. Unlike other penguins, they can produce more than one egg during each breeding season.

Answer: Gentoo

The majority of these penguins live on the Falkland Islands, the South Shetland and South Georgia Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Compared to other more aggressive and noisy penguins, these birds are laid back and quiet. Although these penguins are surrounded by snow and ice, they prefer the coastal plains or cliffs. Parenting is a shared partnership. Both sexes nurture their young, protect the nest, and hunt for food which can be an all-day affair. Predators include sea lions, leopard seals, and orcas.

Answer: Galapagos

Galapagos penguins are a smaller species of penguin. They don't have the noticeable markings belonging to other species. The chest and facial bands are faintly defined. However they do have distinctive black spots on their white bellies. Their barbed tongue helps to hold on to slippery prey which happens to be sardines and mullet. I like to think that their behavior is reminiscent of humans on a warm, summer weekend. During the day they eat, swim around, care for their young, socialize with others in the colony, then return in the evening to their burrows. Unlike many penguin species, these penguins will breed at any time of the year.

Answer: Humboldt

These penguins reach 22-26 inches in height and weigh between 10 and 11 lbs. They also have noticeable pink flesh surrounding the beak. They are agile swimmers and hunt for food in groups, food being sardines and anchovies. Perhaps because of where they're located, these penguins have many predators including sharks, killer whales, and sea lions. Eggs and chicks are hunted by land predators such as cats, snakes, dogs, and foxes.

The Humboldt and Galapagos penguins are closely related.

Answer: Royal

Royal penguins have a white face and chest while the macaroni species have black faces. Like the macaroni, they are crested birds. The head plumes are yellow streaked with black. This species is very social, breeding in dense and noisy colonies on rocky slopes. The nests are lined with grass and small rocks. These penguins feed on krill, lantern-fish, and small crustaceans.