How Big is an Emperor Penguin Compared to a Human?
Emperor penguins are famous for their huge size among penguin species. When you see them waddling across the icy landscapes of Antarctica, you might wonder – just how big are these tuxedo-clad birds compared to humans? In this article, we’ll use facts, an image, and examples to compare the size of emperor penguins and humans.
Table of Contents
How Tall are Emperor Penguins?
The first thing people notice about emperor penguins is their height.
On average, adult emperor penguins stand about 110-130 cm (3.6-4.3 ft) tall. Their height ranges from about 100 cm (3.3 ft) for a small female to 130 cm (4.3 ft) for a large male.
To picture their height, imagine a tall 3rd or 4th grade student. The tallest emperor penguins would come up to about the chest level of an average height adult human.
Now let’s compare the height of humans to emperor penguins:
- Average height of an adult human male: Around 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
- Average height of an adult human female: Around 165 cm (5 ft 5 in)
So at full height, most humans tower over emperor penguins by about 1.5 to 2 feet. Even medium-height adults and teenagers are likely to be taller than most emperor penguins.
To get a visual sense of the height difference, check out this image comparing the two next to each other:
The top of the penguin’s head comes just above the man’s knee level, showing how a typical human is much taller than these remarkable birds.
How Much do Emperor Penguins Weigh?
In addition to their tall stature, emperor penguins are robust and heavy birds. Their thick plumage and substantial fat reserves add a lot of bulk to their frame.
An adult emperor penguin typically weighs 22-45 kg (49-99 lb). Like their height, weight varies between males and females. Large males can weigh up to 45 kg (99 lb) whereas small females weigh as little as 22 kg (49 lb).
The average weight of an adult human shows quite a contrast:
- Average weight of an adult human male: Around 85 kg (187 lb)
- Average weight of an adult human female: Around 70 kg (154 lb)
So emperor penguins often weigh less than half as much as an average grown man or woman. Their substantial size and weight helps them both withstand the cold and dive deeply when hunting for fish.
As you can see, the adult human outweighs the hefty penguin by over 60 lb!
Comparison Table of Emperor Penguin vs Human
| Feature | Emperor Penguin | Average Human Male | Average Human Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 110-130 cm (3.6-4.3 ft) | Around 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | Around 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 22-45 kg (49-99 lb) | Around 85 kg (187 lb) | Around 70 kg (154 lb) |
How do Penguin and Human Body Shapes Compare?
Beyond just height and weight, humans and penguins have very different body plans. Penguin bodies are specially adapted for swimming in frigid polar oceans. Humans are designed for walking and running.
Penguin Bodies
Emperor penguins have oval-shaped bodies with dense, overlapping feathers that are made rigid and waterproof by a layer of fat underneath. Their bones are solid rather than air-filled like other birds, which helps them dive underwater.
Other key body features are:
- Short legs set far back on the body
- Large webbed feet for paddling
- Flipper-like wings for propulsion in water
- A short tail
- A large beak
This body layout helps emperor penguins “fly” through the water while hunting fish and krill. Their streamlined shape allows them to reach amazing speeds of over 20 km/hr in the water!
Human Bodies
Humans have a completely different body shape from penguins:
- Long arms and legs in proportion to the torso
- Non-webbed fingers and toes
- A narrow pelvis and shoulders
- A neck that allows the head to turn
- No tail
- A small nose and mouth instead of a heavy beak
This anatomy allows humans to walk upright on land with excellent balance. Our long limbs give us great reach and speed. Hands with opposing thumbs enable fine manipulation of tools and objects.
So while penguin and human bodies have some similarities like two eyes and a mouth, they are precisely adapted to survive in extremely different environments.
How Else Do Emperor Penguins and Humans Compare?
Now that we’ve looked at their size and anatomy, let’s compare some other features of emperor penguins and humans:
Life span
Emperor penguins live around 15-20 years on average. Some exceptional birds reach 30 years old. By contrast, the average human life expectancy is 79 years – over triple the emperor penguin’s lifespan. The longest lived humans make it well past 100 years.
Diet
Humans are omnivores who can eat diverse plants and meats. Emperor penguins are specialized fish, krill and squid eaters. Their short beak and tongue are adapted for swallowing slick seafood. Humans have mouths much better suited for chewing and biting all kinds of foods.
Habitat
Emperor penguins only live in the frozen coasts of Antarctica. They cannot survive at temperatures above 20°C (68°F). Humans live on every continent and can adapt to a huge range of warm and cold environments.
Chicks
Penguin chicks are called “chicks”. Human babies are called “infants”. Penguin chicks hatch from eggs and rely completely on their parents for food and warmth. Human infants are born live from their mothers and rely on older humans to provide milk, care and protection.
So while we share some basic traits like being warm-blooded vertebrates who raise our young, humans and emperor penguins differ enormously in our biology and lifestyles.
Emperor Penguins – Giants of the Penguin World!
Although emperor penguins seem small next to humans, they are actually the largest penguin species in the world!
The tallest and heaviest of all penguins, they can weigh over 5 times more than their smallest relative, the little blue penguin.
Here’s how the biggest penguin species compared:
| Penguin Species | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Emperor penguin | 110-130 cm (3.6-4.3 ft) | 22-45 kg (49-99 lb) |
| King penguin | 90 cm (3 ft) | 10-16 kg (22-35 lb) |
| Gentoo penguin | 70 cm (2.3 ft) | 6.5 kg (14 lb) |
| Little blue penguin | 40 cm (1.3 ft) | 1 kg (2.2 lb) |
So while emperor penguins might seem tiny next to humans, they’re actually giants in the penguin world! No other bird in Antarctica rivals their impressive size and majestic appearance.
In Summary
- Emperor penguins are around one-third to one-half as tall as the average human adult. Most people would tower over them.
- Humans typically weigh at least twice as much as an emperor penguin. A 90 kg (200 lb) man would be over triple the penguin’s weight!
- While both have two eyes, two wings, and two legs, penguin and human bodies are adapted for underwater swimming vs. land walking.
- Emperor penguins live much shorter lives than humans and eat a very different diet dominated by seafood.
So emperor penguins are considerably smaller than humans in both height and weight. Their bodies are specially designed for an aquatic life in the frigid Antarctic. But what they lack in size compared to us, they make up for in resilience, strength and grace as giants of the penguin world!
