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Flightless Bird
We share our world with many strange and amazing animals. Look up in the sky and you'll see birds flying gracefully, for example.
What is a bird? It's an animal with wings, of course. And what do birds do with their wings? They fly.Simple enough, right? But wait a minute... there are birds that don't fly. Are they still birds?
Yes, they are. All birds have wings, but not all birds can fly. It's strange, but true. Millions of black and white birds live in Antarctica, and they don't fly. In fact, they spend a lot of time in the ocean, using their wings to swim. They're called penguins, and they're really fun to watch.
It's cold in Antarctica.Really cold! In winter, the sun does not rise. It's dark all the time, yet penguins manage to have a pretty good life there. How do they stay warm? They have a thick layer of fat that is covered with cold-proof feathers called " down". On top of the down, there is another layer of feathers that keeps the cold water from reaching the penguins' skin.
The adult male penguin finds a female penguin, and they raise a family. The Emperor penguin has a unique way of starting a family. The female lays one egg on the foot of the male. She then leaves and goes to the ocean, where she spends many weeks eating and playing.
Meanwhile, the male stands alone on shore, keeping the egg covered with his warm body. He does not eat. He does not move. He stands there, waiting for the egg to hatch. Strange,right? During this time, he must be very hungry, yet he doesn't leave the egg.
The female comes back just before it's time for the baby penguin to be born. She allows the male to go and eat then. He weighs only half as much as he did when he started.
Why do they do this? No one knows. It's a strange and wonderful way of the animal kingdom.Observe nature closely.You will be amazed at what you can learn.