Sleeping positions
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by
barbiegirl
Bigger species of penguins often sleep on their bellies as in the picture while the smaller ones often sleep in burrows
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by
gardenmaeve
moderator
Hello there, @barbiegirl . These are adult Gentoo penguins on their nests. Some Gentoos use stones to build pebble nests, while in other places the Gentoos use earth, grass, seaweed, feathers- anything they can find to make the nest high and dry. They don't really sleep much when nesting. They are working hard taking care of the one or two eggs, and later caring for their tiny new chicks.
King penguins take turns keeping their single egg on their feet- no nest at all! After the chick hatches it stays nice and warm on its parents' feet, hidden under the adult's flap of warm skin and feathers, until the fluffy brown chick is old enough to keep itself warm..
You're correct that there are some species of penguin that make their nests in burrows. Magellanic, Galapagos, Humboldt, Little, and African penguins nest in holes and burrows. They will all be busy defending their territory while brooding their eggs and feeding chicks. Thank you for visiting the penguins!
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