AnimalsThe emperor penguin is the tallest penguin. It breeds in the Antarctic winter. The male keeps the single egg warm on his feet for about two months without eating, while the female feeds at sea. Penguins cannot fly but swim superbly.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Aptenodytes forsteri
- Group
- Birds
- Diet
- Carnivore (eats other animals)
- Lives in
- Antarctica
- Habitat
- Sea ice and cold seas
- A young one is called
- chick
- A group is called
- colony or huddle
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Aves
- Order Sphenisciformes
- Family Spheniscidae
- Genus Aptenodytes
- Species Aptenodytes forsteri
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The emperor penguin is listed as Near Threatened. The species is not yet classed as threatened, but it is close and may become so soon.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.