Emperor penguins are the largest of the family, and endure the worst breeding conditions of any bird.

Statistics
Height: 115cm (45in), Weight: 35-40kg (77-88lb).

Physical description
Emperor penguins look as though they are wearing tuxedos. The wings and back are black and they have a white stomach. They have a black head with large yellow and white patches on the side of the neck.

Distribution
Emperor penguins are found in the Antarctic regions

Diet
Their diet comprises mainly of small fish and crustaceans. They have been known to dive up to 285m but often forage for food at around 50m. They have a foraging range of 50-300km offshore and the breeding colonies may be a long walk inland.

Behaviour
There is a hierarchy among these penguins - when the leader moves, the others follow. These penguins only really show aggressive behaviour during pairing and when feeding young. Emperor penguins never attempt to settle on land, they choose ice naturally formed in the sea. They return from the north to the same place each year.

Reproduction
The emperor penguin is the only penguin species to reproduce in winter. The male comes south to breed with a large fat store mainly around the stomach. This is important as the male fasts through the winter whilst incubating the egg. Reproduction occurs in the middle of the polar night generally with the same partner as previous years.

Pairs gather together and each lay one egg. The male rests the egg on his feet and protects it with a fold of skin until it hatches after nine weeks (usually in September). All the males will huddle together during these months to protect themselves from temperatures that reach as low as minus forty degrees centigrade.

While the male is sitting the female travels to fish-filled waters to build up her reserves and is well-fed when the chick hatches. The male sits on the incubating egg, covering it with its brood pouch for four months. He is nourished by the female but if the female does not return with food once the chick has hatched the male produces .penguin milk. from his digestive system and regurgitates it for the chick. The young birds go to sea at about five months.

Conservation status
Emperor penguins are not classified on the 2000 IUCN Red List. Each year the numbers of emperor penguins decreases, but as their location is unknown for two months of the year it is unknown why this decrease is occurring. There are thought to be about 150,000 breeding pairs.

Records
Emperor penguins hold the record for the deepest and longest dives of all birds.