Discover Why Penguins Are Unable to Fly

Why can’t penguins fly? They have wings like a bird and feathers like a bird. They are even categorized into the bird family, yet they are unable to fly. Penguins are classified as flightless birds, and few species of birds have that qualification. While it is true penguins cannot fly in the air, they are masters of flying in the water. The way they swim makes it look like they are flying. Here are some reasons why these birds are much better swimmers and are unable to fly.

Dense Plumage

Penguins have feathers just like any other bird. However, their feathers are wooly and fine. The feathers of a penguin are meant to help keep warm air trapped near their bodies as a form of insulation. The oil over their feathers also helps with swimming, not flying. Other birds, like the great potoo bird or the red-billed quelea bird, can spread their lightweight feathers apart and move their wings in multiple directions. In contrast, the penguin has dense wings that look more like flippers than wings and stay mostly to their sides. However, a penguin’s wings are designed perfectly for gliding through water. They are often referred to as flippers because of their shape.

Solid Bone Structure

The bones and bone structure of a penguin are much different than any other bird. Birds that can fly have bones that are hollow and very lightweight. A penguin’s bones are much harder and thicker. This strong structure helps them submerge quickly in water and allows them to swim more efficiently. The bones in their wings are shorter and flatter than other birds as well. The heavy density of a penguin’s bones makes them perfect swimmers and helps them in their ability to hunt and survive. However, this makes them unable to fly.

Heavy Weight

Some species of penguins, for their size, are some of the heaviest birds in existence. This alone makes flying impossible. Penguins have a layer of blubber (fat) under their skin that helps them stay warm in their harsh living environment and surroundings. Pairing that with their dense feathers and solid bones makes them heavy enough that flying is just not a possibility for them.

Food and Diet

Penguins have a piscivorous diet, meaning their diet mainly consists of fish. They will also eat krill, squid, cuttlefish, and other aquatic creatures. Some of the larger penguins, like the king penguin or the emperor penguin, can eat up to 10 pounds of fish a day. The Adelie penguin, on the other hand, lives mostly off of krill. The ability to fly would do them no good in their hunt for food. This is why a penguin’s structure and anatomy are much better suited for them to swim. With as much as a colony of penguins eat, they routinely have to search for new feeding grounds, and swimming is the quickest and most efficient way to locate these new areas.

Lung Capacity

Birds that can fly have highly developed cardiovascular systems that help them fly. Their unique respiratory system allows them to get oxygen from the air more efficiently than other animals. Birds also have nine air sacs that help in their ability to fly. Penguins, on the other hand, do not. They can store air in their lungs, which makes it possible for them to spend longer amounts of time in the ocean hunting for food or swimming away from predators. A penguin’s lung capacity is one more reason why this animal is unable to fly.

Body Type

A penguin’s body is perfectly constructed for life in the ocean, not in the skies. They have long, streamlined bodies that help them navigate through the water. Penguins spend around 75-80% of their life in the ocean. However, they mate, lay eggs, and rest on land. Regardless of the type of penguin, they all have too stocky a build, which is another reason why they cannot fly.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/axily