Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day Every January 20

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Penguins are fun, flightless birds that live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Penguin Awareness Day is a day to celebrate their beauty and hardiness. And also recognize their vulnerability to changes in their habitat.

It’s not clear who started Penguin Awareness Day or why, but it’s a worthwhile day. After all, many people love penguins and would hate to see them disappear from their homes.

Another penguin holiday, World Penguin Day, marks the penguins’ annual northward migration. It’s on April 25 every year.

 

Learn More About Penguins

There are 18 species of penguins, although we probably mostly picture Emperor or Adelie penguins when we think about these birds. Seven species live in the waters of Antarctica.

Several are listed as “vulnerable” or “near threatened” (including the Adelie and Emperor).

There’s a lot of information around the web about the different penguins.

Over at Penguin Geek, you can learn about various species of penguins. There’s also a handy identification guide, so you can see how different some of the species look from what you may usually think about.

Defenders of Wildlife offers a fact sheet about penguins and other information.

Kids can learn about penguins too:

• Check out Kidzone’s a section on penguins .
• Learn Fun Penguin Facts at Science Kids

 

 

Live Webcams

Watch penguins live on webcams from various zoos and aquariums. It’s admittedly a bit of a toss-up as to how much they’ll actually be doing when you visit. We’ve seen them being very active and very boring. But they’re always adorable!

• African blackfooted penguins at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This penguin is on the endangered list. If you visit during feeding time (times listed on the page), you can also hear the presentation given to on-site visitors.
• Gentoo penguins at the Edinburgh Zoo
• Gentoo and macaroni penguins at the Tennessee Aquarium

 

 

Videos

Watch this short video about Emperor Penguins in Antarctica (it’s a short part of a longer video)

See baby penguins’ first steps. And a few tumbles!

And for a little fun, watch this ridiculously happy penguin dancing around:

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this fun unofficial holiday.

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Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day

In addition to learning more about penguins, you can celebrate in other ways:

Go see the penguins at the zoo.

Help ensure the zoo isn’t the only place penguins survive; donate to wildlife conservation efforts.

The Pew Charitable Trusts promotes the creation of marine sanctuaries/reserves in the Southern Ocean to help protect not only the penguins, but other vulnerable species living there.

Other organizations you might like:

• The Penguin Foundation, which works to protect the little penguin of Phillip Island
• The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, which has, among other things, helped to rescue and return to the wild hundreds of abandoned African penguin chicks.
• The Galapagos Conservancy, which works to protect all of the Galapagos island’s species, including the Galapagos penguin.
• National Wildlife Federation

 

(Please note: Always check out charities before donating! Only you can decide if they use donations in ways you approve of.)

Spread the word about the need for a penguin sanctuary.

Dress in black and white for the day (actual tuxedo optional!). Tell people why.

Watch a penguin movie (Happy Feet!) or documentary. Consider March of the Penguins.

Above all, admire these beautiful, wonderful creatures!

 

 

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