Penguin Mobility

How Penguins Move

Penguins do not fly - they cannot.  Their wings have bones that are solid and heavy.  They cannot lift themselves out of the water to fly.  (Birds that fly have hollow bones that are lighter weight.) 


photo © Guillaume Dargaud 1993
 

Penguin wings  make great flippers, though. Penguins move from place to place by swimming in the water.  They can swim at speeds up to 15 miles per hour.

Penguins also walk upright on land.  The Rockhopper Penguin gets his name from his talent of hopping from rock to rock! And some penguins slide on their bellies by using their wings to push along the ice. They can slide this way for over two miles.

 

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© Donna Bronzan 2002