Largest species of penguin crossword

The emperor penguin is the largest penguin species. It stands up to four feet tall and weighs up to one hundred pounds. Those birds live only on the Antarctic continent, where they endure the world's most severe weather. A dense layer of black-and-white feathers shields them from cutting winds plus sub-zero cold letting them live through months of darkness on the ice. Their breeding story is extraordinary. Each winter thousands of males form tight packs on the frozen sea. Each male balances a single egg on his feet and covers it with a feathered skin fold. For about two months the birds stand pressed together against the cold while the females are at sea. The males eat nothing during this wait. After the egg hatches, the mother returns with food in her stomach - parents then alternate between guarding the chick but also travelling to open water to gather fish, squid and krill for the youngster. Emperor penguins sit near the top of the Antarctic food web. By harvesting fish, squid as well as krill they influence prey numbers and act as living gauges of the Southern Ocean's condition. A drop or surge in their numbers often mirrors wider ecological change. Rapid warming now melts the sea ice they need for breeding. Scientists predict that many colonies will vanish before the century ends. Protecting the birds demands global cuts in greenhouse gases or careful management of krill fisheries. Despite the threat, the birds have already survived past climate swings and their stubborn endurance offers reason to believe they can persist if given space also time.