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guano noun - the excrement of seabirds and bats, used as fertilizer

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Penguins are one of the most beloved creatures on the planet. Although everything most of us know about them is wrong. They are often considered clumsy birds living only on the icy continent of Antarctica. In reality, penguins are masterful swimmers and inhabit large chunks of the southern hemisphere. They live in places with temperate climates like Australia, South Africa, and many islands in the Atlantic ocean.  The Galapagos penguins inhabit the islands of the same name near the equator. 

Sadly penguins just like countless other species very soon may only be seen in pictures. In the following decades, their populations have been steadily declining and there are two species with only a few thousand individuals left. 

Penguins are flightless birds and are part of a very small group of such birds. However, it sounds strange the lost ability to fly is a genetic advantage. Their skeletons and short wings help them swim fast and dive deep thus filing an ecological niche no other animal is using.

Most penguins lay two eggs while the kind and the emperor ones are laying only one. Typically they build nests from stones, twigs, bones, or lay their eggs in grasses and bird guano. Some do not build nests at all.  

The endangered populations of penguins are an alert for us. Penguins can be defined as the canary in the mine. If they are on the verge of extinction this is an indication for the awful state of our oceans. Overfishing, severe storms destroying their nests caused by global warming and polluted waters are some of the factors contributing to their unpleasant position. 

Although we are the reason for the decline in penguins’ populations, we humans are also their best chance for survival. In the past years, many initiatives for the preservation of endangered populations of penguins have achieved promising results. Combined with little changes every one of us can make to minimize his or her impact on the planet, many plants and animals might get better odds for survival.

The penguin in the mine.