How do Penguin Flippers Work

Penguins are one of the birds of the ice-capped regions. They are warm-blooded birds, which require high internal temperatures to keep them active. The body of a penguin is a combination of black and white. The upper part of the body is black while the underside, i.e., the flippers and the abdomen, is white. There are around 17 species of penguin worldwide. Around four species of penguin are threatened of extinction. Penguin is a fine example of an aquatic bird.

Penguin, The Flightless Bird

Penguins belong to a family called 'spheniscidae' and do not fly. These birds mostly breed in the Southern Hemisphere and also in Antarctica. It is believed that the name 'penguin' originated from the Welsh word 'Pen Gwyn', meaning white head. Penguins are hefty birds with a heavy and robust skeletal system. The heavy bone structure hinders the ability to fly.

Like all birds, penguins also have wings. The wings of the penguin are called flippers. The shape of the flippers resembles that of an airplane's wings and are strong and heavy. They are hard and are covered with tiny feathers that are stiff which are not waterproof. The flippers help a penguin to swim swiftly.

Flippers as a Defensive Weapon

The flippers are used as weapons to defend themselves from their predators and also used as a weapon in fights. Penguins are aggressive birds when they guard their nests. They use their flippers to defend themselves and the strike of a flipper is painful, which causes the predators to move back.

Other Uses of Flippers

These fin-like structures are not insulated heavily like the other parts of the body. Therefore on a hot day, the penguins spread their flippers away from their body. The heat flows away from their body, which helps to cool down the body on a hot summer's day.

Remember that penguins are aquatic birds, hence they spend most of their lives in the water. They come over to the land only for breeding and molting. Penguin flippers or wings are more suitable for swimming than flying. The penguins can swim swiftly at a speed of 8km/hr.

Flippers are the modified wings that help these aquatic birds to defend themselves from their enemies. There are times when they are flapped to cool the body of a penguin on a summer day.