Emperor Penguins first begin to breed at approximately five years of age. They travel about 60 miles inland to reach the breeding site. In March or April, the penguins start courtship, when the temperature can be as low as -40 degrees C. Emperor penguins are serially monogamous , meaning that they have only one mate each year, and keep faithfully to that one other penguin. However, most choose different mates each year.
ŸŸŸ
In May or June, the female penguin lays a 1 pound egg , but at this point her nutritional reserves are exhausted and she must immediately return to the sea to feed. Very carefully, she transfers the egg to the male penguin, who will incubate the egg in his brood pouch for about 65 days consecutively without food by surviving on his fat reserves and spending the majority of the time sleeping to conserve energy. To survive the cold and wind (which speed up to 120 mph), the males huddle together and take turns in the middle of the huddle. If the chick hatches before the mother's return, the father sits the chick on his feet and covers it with his pouch, feeding it a white milky substance produced by a gland in his esophagus .
The female then returns after two months. She finds her mate among the hundreds of fathers from his call and takes over caring for the chick, feeding it by regurgitating the food that she has stored in her stomach. The male then leaves to take his turn at sea. After another few weeks, the male returns and both parents tend to the chick by keeping it off the ice and feeding it food from their stomachs.
ŸŸŸ
After hatching, the chick stands about twelve to fourteen inches. Within about thirty-five to forty days, both parents can leave the chick, go to sea to feed and then feed the chick by regurgitating what they have eaten. Parents are able to identify their young by their chick's distinctive call which can be heard up to a kilometer away. Chicks grow slowly at first, yet more rapidly in late spring. By midsummer, the Emperor chicks are independent and will be ready to breed in four to eight years.