FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Main Index Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Main Index Quizzes, Trivia

Penguins Trivia Questions and Answers

Fun Facts & Interesting Information
Search in topic:
Related Questions & Answers:   Specific Bird Species   

1. Which two species of penguins have red eyes?


Answer: rockhopper & macaroni

Interesting Information:
Most penguins typically have eyes that are some shade of brown. However, the rockhopper and macaroni penguins have red eyes while the yellow-eyed penguin has (as its name implies) yellow eyes. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
fairy & king, rockhopper & gentoo, adelie & macaroni

2. As "March of the Penguins" begins, a group of emperor penguins is leaving the ocean to journey inland to Antarctica in order to find a mate. During what month does this quest begin (or is it most likely to begin if you haven't seen the movie)?


Answer: March

Interesting Information:
Hence the title of the film, "March of the Penguins". Ah, the charm of English homonyms.

The penguins' journey may be as long as seventy miles, and may last for a week of nonstop walking over ice - an awkward journey for a bird that cannot fly and is far more at home in the water than on Terra Firma. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: March of the Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
June, September, December

3. What does the scientific name for the fairy penguin, Eudyptula minor, mean?


Answer: Good little diver.

Interesting Information:
The shape of the fairy penguin's body makes it an excellent swimmers and diver. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Good little swimmer., Good little glider., Good little walker.

4. The penguin is one of the few birds that cannot do what?


Answer: Fly

Interesting Information:
Penguins, along with Emus and Ostriches, are some of the birds that can not fly. Penguins instead hop, slide on their bellies, run, and swim. Difficulty: Very Easy.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Breed, Eat, Lay eggs

5. Easy start... What two colors make up most of the penguin?


Answer: black and white

Interesting Information:
They look like they have little tuxedoes on! Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin

6. What is the largest penguin?


Answer: Emperor penguin

Interesting Information:
They grow up to a meter in height and weigh up to 30 kilograms. They are easily recognized by their black cap, blue-gray neck, orange ear patches and bills, and yellow breast. They are also mostly in Antarctica. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
King Penguin, Galapagos Penguin, New Zealand Penguin

7. Which U.S. political party has a penguin as its unofficial symbol?


Answer: Libertarian Party

Interesting Information:
The current symbol for the Libertarian Party is Lady Liberty. However, there has been a push to use the Liberty Penguin as the symbol such as the donkey and the elephant for the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. This symbol has already been adopted in such states as Tennessee, North Carolina, Utah, Hawaii, Delaware, and Iowa. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
Democratic Party, Green Party, Republican Party

8. By what other name is the fairy penguin also known as?


Answer: Little blue penguin.

Interesting Information:
Or just blue penguins due to the colour of their plumage. In New Zealand, the Maori call them Korora. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Little red penguin., Little black penguin., Little brown penguin.

9. How many penguin species are there?


Answer: 17

Interesting Information:
Amazingly enough, there are only 17 species of penguins in 6 genera. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
7, 23, 44

10. How many species of penguin are there?


Answer: 17

Interesting Information:
There are 17 species of penguin. They are: Emperor penguins, King penguins, Adelie penguins, Chinstrap penguins, Gentoo penguins, Macaroni penguins, Royal penguins, Erect-crested penguins, Snares penguins, Fiordland penguins, Rockhopper penguins, African (or Blackfooted or Jackass penguins), Humboldt penguins, Magellanic penguins, Galapagos penguins, Yellow-eyed penguins, and Little penguins (or fairy penguins). Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
28, 12, 5

11. Which species of penguin has orange, tear shaped ear patches?


Answer: king penguin

Interesting Information:
The king penguin has orange, tear shaped ear patches that extend to their upper chest. The emperor penguin is known for its yellow ear patches, while the rockhopper and royal penguins are known for their orange or yellow crests. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
emperor penguin, rockhopper penguin, royal penguin

12. Where are fairy penguins found?


Answer: Off the southern coast of Australia and New Zealand.

Interesting Information:
It breeds along the coastline of New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. In Australia, they are found from Port Stephens in the east to Fremantle in the west and Tasmania. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
In the Antarctic., In the Arctic., In Greenland.

13. In which hemisphere do all penguins except one species live?


Answer: Southern Hemisphere

Interesting Information:
Almost all penguins live in the southern hemisphere, ranging from the coasts of South America to seas of ice off of Antarctica. Galapagos penguins are the only ones that live in the northern hemisphere. Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Northern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere

14. What name below is NOT a type of penguin?


Answer: Hoolby

Interesting Information:
I just made up Hoolby, the other three are all different types of penguins. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin
 
Some incorrect choices:
Chinstrap, Macaroni, Emperor

15. Which species of penguin lives closest to the equator?


Answer: Galapagos penguin

Interesting Information:
The Galapagos penguin, which is native to the Galapagos islands, lives closest to the equator. The king penguin lives in Antarctica and is the closest relative to the emperor penguin. Royal penguins live in the waters surrounding Antarctica and breed only on Macquarie Island. The yellow-eyed penguin is native to New Zealand. Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
king penguin, royal penguin, yellow-eyed penguin

16. What is the diet of the fairy penguin?


Answer: Schooling fishes, squid and crustaceans.

Interesting Information:
They make short, shallow dives to catch their food. They can hold their breath for a minute and swim up to 6 km/h. They can travel up to 50 km during the day searching for food. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Plankton and fishes., Seaweed and plankton., Sea cucumber and sea anemones.

17. What is the smallest penguin species?


Answer: Fairy Penguin

Interesting Information:
The Fairy or Little Blue penguin only weighs 2 pounds and stands only 16 inches tall. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Adelie Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin

18. What makes a Macaroni penguin stand out from other penguins?


Answer: long orange feathers on top of their heads

Interesting Information:
If you see these kind of penguins, the Macaroni kind are very obviously different because of the long bright orange 'hair-like' feathers that stand straight up on their heads. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin
 
Some incorrect choices:
macaroni shaped spots on their back, very large eyes with yellow circles around them, they have a strange odor that smells like cheese

19. What is the top speed recorded for Gentoo penguins while swimming?


Answer: Around 22 miles per hour

Interesting Information:
Gentoo penguins have been recorded with a top speed of 22 miles per hour. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
50 miles per hour, 8-10 miles per hour, 3-4 miles per hour

20. The sometimes-recognized 18th species of penguin is a white version of what already recognized species of penguin?


Answer: fairy penguin

Interesting Information:
Some scientists recognize an 18th species of penguin, which is a white version of the fairy penguin (the smallest species of penguin). Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
gentoo penguin, adelie penguin, chinstrap penguin

21. How do penguins mate?


Answer: Male on top

Interesting Information:
Penguins have a difficult time mating because of how their body is shaped. Their bodies are compared to bottles and you know it's really hard to keep a bottle on top of another one. So, when penguins decide to mate, the female must keep still while the male gets on top. If the female moves, the male will fall. As a result, mating only lasts a few seconds. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Those Loyal Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Female on top, It's up to the individual couple, Standing up with male in back

22. Where do fairy penguins build their nesting burrows?


Answer: Both of these.

Interesting Information:
The burrows are usually 2m apart and may be up to 1m long, with a round nest area at the end. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
In sand dunes., Among the rocks at the bottom of cliffs., None of these. They don't build nests.

23. What is the biggest penguin species?


Answer: Emperor Penguin

Interesting Information:
The Emperor Penguin is around 88 pounds and about 40 inches tall, while the second is the King Penguin at around 30 inches tall and only 20 to 30 pounds. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Royal Penguin, King Penguin, Magellanic Penguin

24. How long do the king penguins take care of their young?


Answer: 15 months

Interesting Information:
It can be as much as 15 months with the king penguin, but usually it is 7 to 10 weeks with other species. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
7 to 10 weeks, 10 weeks, 7 months

25. What is the name given to penguins that are born with brown rather than black feathers/coat?


Answer: Isabelline

Interesting Information:
Only about one in every 50,000 penguins is born with brown rather than a black coat. These penguins usually have a shorter life span because they are not as well camouflaged as other penguins, which makes them easier prey. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
Albinism, Hue Contrast, Ubuntu

26. What is another name for the African Penguin?


Answer: Blackfoot Penguin

Interesting Information:
They live on the coast of South Africa and in Namibia. They have a black U shape on their neck that is upside down. They make a loud braying sound and are known to build their nests under bushes or on sandy beaches. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Those Loyal Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Chinstrap Penguin, Emperor Penguin, Erect-crested Penguin

27. With what part of their bodies do fairy penguins dig out their burrows?


Answer: They use their feet and wings.

Interesting Information:
The penguin usually lines the burrow with leaves or grasses. All the work is done at night when most predators are not around. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
They use their feet., They use their wings., They use their beak and wings.

28. What is the main diet for a penguin in Antarctica?


Answer: squid and krill

Interesting Information:
There are no salmon in the icy waters at the South Pole. Turtles can't live in that climate either. Baby leopard seals and their parents are the biggest enemy to the penguin, eating THEM for their meals. Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin
 
Some incorrect choices:
salmon, turtle eggs, baby leopard seals

29. In which country or region are penguins NOT located?


Answer: North America

Interesting Information:
"Penguins have adapted to more habitats and climates than any other animal in the world."
Courtesy of Penguins around the world. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
Africa, New Zealand, Antarctica

30. After consuming huge amounts of food in the ocean, the females return to their mates. In groups that may number in the thousands, how do mates find each other?


Answer: By sound - the female trumpets her unique call, and the male responds with his.

Interesting Information:
This unique "heart song" was the basis of the Disney film "Happy Feet", though it must be emphasized that emperor penguins rarely choose tap dancing over singing as that movie's protagonist does; these amazing animals actually seem quite adept at both song and dance in "March of the Penguins"! Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: March of the Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
By sight - human perceptions to the contrary, penguins actually are very distinct in appearance, at least to other penguins., The exact mechanism is unknown, though each of these answers has been considered by biologists as a possibility., By smell - no elaboration necessary.

31. Who looks after the penguin chicks?


Answer: The mother and father.

Interesting Information:
The parents take turns looking after the chicks and catch fish for them. The chick feeds once a night by eating food from its parent's mouth. When they are 8 - 9 weeks old, they are ready to move out to sea to feed themselves. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
The whole colony., Only the mother., Only the father.

32. Most penguins have how many eggs at one time?


Answer: 2

Interesting Information:
If you see the size of the egg, you know why they can only have two. They are quite big! Some species only have one egg. Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin
 
Some incorrect choices:
4, 6, 10

33. What word is used to describe the act of penguins sliding on their bellies?


Answer: Tobogganing

Interesting Information:
Penguins use several means of travel. Penguins do walk over land but due to the make up of their bodies this is a very slow process. They also hop/jump by placing their feet together and sort of bouncing along. This method is most common with penguins that live in a rocky area such as rockhoppers. They also use tobogganing as a means of movement mostly in the colder climates. This can help them escape from prey that may be quicker than they are on land. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
Sledding, Skiing, Surfing

34. How do fairy penguins communicate?


Answer: They use song and body movements.

Interesting Information:
The male's song ranges from a deep rumbling to a trumpet like cry. While he sings he will move his beak, wings and body, calling to his mate and keeping other males away. They also call to each other at sea so they can stay together and find food. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Fairy Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
They use song and dance., They use song only., They use dance and body movements.

35. Where is the most northern, natural habitat, (not in a zoo) for a penguin species located?


Answer: Galapagos Islands

Interesting Information:
The only penguin species to live that far north is the Galapagos Penguin. It is so hot for them that they have to hold out their flippers to cool them down as well as taking a good dip into the cold current waters. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island, New Zealand

36. Which species of penguin is the largest?


Answer: Emperor

Interesting Information:
Emperors are nearly as large as an average five-year-old child. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin
 
Some incorrect choices:
Chinstrap, Gentoo, King

37. Which animal is the biggest threat to penguins?


Answer: Leopard Seal

Interesting Information:
The leopard seal is the biggest threat to penguins because they will hide just underneath the ice and wait for the penguins to jump into the water to hunt for food. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Everything Black And White
 
Some incorrect choices:
Killer Whale, Gulls, Sharks

38. How does the male penguin find his mate and egg when he returns from the ocean for feeding?


Answer: Sound

Interesting Information:
Before the male leaves to go find food and switches the baby penguin to the mother, they communicate by sound so that when the male returns, the chick can call out the particular call and the male penguin can find and feed his offspring. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Those Loyal Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Smell, Sight, Touch

39. As with any wild species, some chicks do not survive the initial trials of weather and other perils. When a mother emperor penguin loses her chick, what is she likely to do?


Answer: Try to steal another chick

Interesting Information:
Regardless of her attempt, however, the other females of the group will usually prevent the bereaved mother from taking another chick. The example in "March of the Penguins" showed a half-dozen females fighting off the accosting mourner. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: March of the Penguins
 
Some incorrect choices:
Lash out in an angry rage at the other female penguins, sometimes killing one or more adults or their chicks, Commit suicide by regurgitation and self-starvation, All of these are common behaviors in female emperor penguins

40. How long, approximately, does it take to hatch an Emperor penguin egg?


Answer: 2 months

Interesting Information:
The female Emperor penguin lays her one or two eggs in the middle of winter, then goes back to the ocean to eat. Her mate keeps the egg(s) warm. She returns two months later as her chicks hatch. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Waddle...Waddle...Waddle, It's a Penguin
 
Some incorrect choices:
17 days, 1 month, 150 days
Please remember to credit FunTrivia.com, add links on your website or newsletters, or otherwise spread the word about our website. Thank you very much, and we hope these questions have been useful!
Copyright FunTrivia.com. All Rights Reserved.


By accessing this site, you agree to our Conditions of Use / Privacy / Legal Policies
All content on this site is protected by international law.