Penguins are one of the most fascinating and endearing creatures of them all. Given that not many of us have access to them, it’s only natural that we still have a lot of unanswered questions in mind, especially regarding flight.
I mean, they are birds, perhaps flightless, but maybe they can touch the sky for a couple of seconds?
So, can penguins fly?
Penguins cannot fly, and while that may sound disadvantageous, they’ve actually developed the perfect skill they need for survival — swimming.
There are a lot of reasons why penguins can’t fly.
First of all, they have no natural predators on land. So they don’t actually have the need to fly away as a form of defense. Secondly, it could be due to their habitat, and lastly, their bodies (especially wings) did not evolve with the purpose of flying.
Can Penguins Fly a Little?
It’s only natural to think (or even wish) that penguins can fly because they are birds, and they have wings. They also lay their eggs and raise their chicks on land, so almost everything about them is similar to other bird species.
Chickens aren’t great flyers either, but they can potentially catch a bit of air when they flap their wings hard enough. Is it the same with penguins?
Penguins really cannot fly, not even just a little. They can flap their wings all they want, but they simply won’t take flight. They probably can’t even break a fall.
Penguins only “fly” in the water. If you have the chance to observe when they swim or hunt for fish, then you’ll notice that the motion they use to swim swiftly in the waters is similar to that of a bird when in flight.
That’s the reality of it, but penguins are just fine with this, and they have all the necessary abilities they need to survive.
So, Why Can’t They Fly?
Penguins actually lost their ability to fly eons ago. Perhaps what really led to the eventual inability to fly was the fact that penguins were just becoming so good at swimming that they didn’t have any need for flight any more.
This exact line of reasoning actually still baffles scientists because penguins trek a lot, especially the Emperor penguins. If they could fly, then they wouldn’t need to complete an excruciating march anymore.
In case you haven’t seen a penguin walk before, we can tell you it is not the most elegant, efficient, or fastest way to get from A to B.
Leopard seals also lunge for penguins on the edges of water, so if they could fly, then they could quickly get away from these vicious predators.
It turns out, though, that it’s probably impossible to develop such excellent swimming skills and still be able to fly at the same time.
Looks like the penguins’ inability to fly is a case of you just can’t have it all.
But yes, there are bird species that are both adept (although probably not as good as penguins) at swimming and flying, like the pelagic cormorants. It’s said that cormorants are similar to the last penguin species that were able to fly and swim.
One last reason why penguins’ evolutionary pathway chose swimming over flying is that flight just uses up a lot more energy than gliding in the waters. The penguins’ bodies just couldn’t handle the mechanics of it.
They developed their bodies and wings to allow them to fly in the waters instead.
Scientists argue that penguins’ biology chose the ability to forage food effectively instead of an additional way to defend themselves or the convenience of flying.
People Also Commonly Ask:
Which Penguins Can fly?
None. There are 18 species of penguins in the world, and none of them can fly. They are a completely flightless bird species.
Conclusion
So what if penguins can’t fly? They are still one of the cutest and coolest animals in the world! Their ability to swim more than makes up for it.
Penguins are now deemed exotic animals, with some species being endangered. If we love penguins and all the animals in the world, we must do everything we can to help make the world a better place for them to live in.
Stay cool and curious!
Sources
https://askabiologist.asu.edu/questions/are-penguins-flying-birds
