Most penguins build their nests on the ground. Different penguins build different kinds of nests. Some make them out of pebbles and stones; others build them from vegetation. They protect their nests from seagulls, other birds, and the weather.
The female penguin lays one or two eggs in the nest. The eggs are usually white, bluish or greenish. The eggs are kept warm in turns by both parents, except in one case. The male Emperor penguin keeps the egg warm for about sixty-five days. The female goes off to sea until a few days before the chick is hatched.
Hatching time is usually between thirty-four and forty-two days after the egg is laid. A baby penguin is called a "chick." It is often heard making a peeping sound before breaking out of the shell.
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The chick makes a small crack in the egg called a pip. Several days later the egg will hatch. Baby penguins only weigh about three and one half ounces. They are blind and very helpless when they hatch.
The baby chick stays in the nest or burrow. The chick stays in the nest for two to four weeks. The parents of the chick can recognize their unique chirps from all the rest of all the other chicks.
Like all baby birds, young penguins are hungry soon after hatching. The mother and father penguin hunt for small fish, squid or other small sea animals. The adult penguin teaches the chick to stretch its neck to peck food from under the parents beak.
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The parents of the chick regurgitate the fish. Regurgitate means to cough up what it has eaten.
The chick begins to fledge about six weeks after hatching. Fledge means to lose their fluffy down.
When the chicks are between four and five weeks old, the parents are usually feeding at sea. The chicks are left to themselves. They gather into The large group the chicks form are called creches.
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After about six weeks it is time for the baby penguins to go to the sea and to learn to feed themselves. They will dive into the sea. At first they are very clumsy. Some of the penguins are killed or hurt by leopard seals.
The young penguins swim straight out into the sea. They will not return to their rookeries for two to three years. They will return and begin to start their breeding.
Years ago people used to kill penguins and eat them. They would also eat their eggs. Millions of penguins were slaughtered for their oil. Many colonies of penguins were totally destroyed.
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