Can Penguins Fly? [Animated Infographic]

Ever Spotted A Flying Penguin?

Penguins are a species of birds that flap their wings and run around in an adorable fashion. But you’ve never seen them taking flight, in-spite of them having “wings,” have you? Ever wondered why? Well, researchers have found out the answer for you.

What Does The Study Say?

According to research, these birds are highly specialized in catching fish. They are also able to swim, which, for them, is more important than flying. Why? Because of the types of environments they are native to, which includes the coasts of Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, South America, and the Galapagos Islands.

Do Penguins Really Have “Wings”?

There is no straight answer to this. Penguins have wing-like flippers, each of them is covered short, scale-like feathers. The typical feathers that most birds have are too flexible for swimming. Water is denser than air, hence the flippers, aka “penguin wings” are shorter, tapered, and flattened for swimming.

So, Penguins Can’t Fly. Then Why Do They Have “Wings”?

As said before, the wings are actually flippers, which help penguins to swim through the water. They can dive in as deep as 1,850 feet to look for food, which could be fish, squid, or tiny crustaceans. These narrow, and hard flippers help penguins to steer and propel through the water easily.

Why Can’t Penguins Fly?

With the evolution of penguins, their wings became more efficient and adapted to swimming and diving, helping them catching their food easily underwater.

Penguins today also have heavier bones, making them more suited to be on the ground or underwater. The extra weight that they gain from their heavier bones makes them a bit awkward on the land, where they waddle across the ice, or slide on their bellies.

Another study by scientists concluded that a wing that is good for flying cannot also be good for swimming and diving. Simply put, what it means is that a good swimmer cannot also excel at flying. And that is the case with these adorable penguins.

For more information, here is a gifographic by Mocomi on why Penguins cannot fly.