10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

It’s all about the improbable intersection of human beings and Emperor Penguins, and if I can’t make it to an Emperor Penguin colony (highly unlikely), reading this book has been the next best thing. It’s part memoir, part travelogue, part scientific narrative, part prologue to making an argument for Antarctic conservation.

Penguins 165

Penguins Seals Leopards Research 165

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2013

The early threats of guano harvesting and egg collecting have been replaced by the more ominous threats of oil pollution and overfishing of their favorite food source – pilchards. Today, there are more than 3,000 birds at this accessible colony and they are protected by fences and stiff fines for human disturbance.

Penguins 226

Penguins South Africa Africa Sharks 226

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

They can reach heights of up to 5 ft 7 inches, taller than many adult humans. They are not bound to wetlands the entire year and large groups of birds will disperse to dry grassland and savanna outside of the breeding season. This is worrying because paired birds generally only lay one egg and the breeding cycle can be very irregular.

Botswana 158

Botswana South Africa Africa Ethiopia 158

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Penguins are flightless, but some species locomote over long distances on antarctic ice to travel between breeding grounds and the sea. They have special adaptations to stay warm and to keep their eggs and chicks warm.

Penguins 198

Penguins Seals Peru Science 198