Classification
Emperor penguin, the truly supreme and most dignified of all penguins makes up the class Aptenodytes forsteri.
Appearance
It towers above the rest at an amazing 115 cm. Its weight falls in synch with its height; it weighs-in at just over 30 kilograms, but male weight can vary up to half that amount depending on the length of breeding. Males and females are indistinguishable during most of the year; however, when it becomes time for the male to switch responsibilities with the female, the male can be half the weight of the female. Chicks are easily identified; they are the darlings of the penguins.
Distribution
About two dozen colonies are known, ranging in size from less than 200 pairs to over 50,000 pairs. In a survey of known colonies Budd (1962) estimated a world population of about 240,000 breeding birds. The Emperor penguin is the only penguin that inhabits the Antarctic continent solely. Populations have declined somewhat since Bernard Stonehouse's accounts. They are considered to be migratory.
Breeding
Breeding takes place in May and June. Emperor penguins breed on seas ice and islets off the coast of the Antarctic continent. Emperor females lay one and only one. Ovulation and egg laying is too energetically expensive beyond the first egg, and caring for more than one proves impossible. Emperors assemble on the breeding colonies early in winter, shortly after the sea ice has formed, and lay in May or June. The single egg, held on the feet is incubated only by the males which huddle together tightly throughout the coldest months of winter, in temperatures which often fall below -40C. Females winter at seas, returning to the colonies seven to eight weeks after laying to relieve their mates and tend the newly hatched chicks. Chicks grow slowly at first, more rapidly in late spring, and reach independence by midsummer.
Diet
The Emperor penguin feeds primarily on shaoling fish and squid, but whenever it comes across small crustaceans, it doesn't refuse them.
Predator
Foraging presents predators with opportunities. Mostly these predators are orcas and the various seals (leopard) that actually make it that far south. Giant petrels prey upon eggs and chicks or remains.