Are you ready to celebrate the coolest animal at Riverbanks Zoo? ❄️ Today we are highlighting the birds who are always dressed up + don’t mind diving into even the coldest waters. We’re talking about penguins because today is National Penguin Day.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is home to three different species of penguins – the rockhopper, king, and gentoo. The Birdhouse houses the Penguin Coast where guests can chill out with these aquatic birds.

You might be wondering, how did so many penguins get here without melting in the Famously Hot heat? Many of the Zoo’s penguins arrived at Riverbanks in refrigerated trucks, while others arrived, comfortably, in ice-packed vans driven by chilly keepers.

Penguins are non-flying aquatic birds that find all of their favorite foods, like krill, squid, and other crustaceans, by diving into icy temps to feast. In the wild, penguins feed exclusively in the water.

This is why when you visit the zoo around 11:30 every day you can see keepers throwing handfuls of fish into the 40°F water. Keepers do this to encourage the natural behavior and you can watch the penguins dash after their dinner.

Here’s some fast facts about the types of penguins you can find at Riverbanks Zoo:

🐧 Rockhopper, think of Lovelace in the movie Happy Feet, are appropriately named because they literally hop from rock to rock. They are also among the smallest of the species + recognizable by the feathers around their face.

🐧 Gentoo penguins are the fastest swimmers – capable of reaching speeds of 20 mph and diving 300+ feet deep.

🐧 King penguins, the second largest species of penguins, are recognized by the yellow-orange markings on the side of their head and for incubating their eggs on their feet, rather than in a nest like other birds.

Want to see + learn even more about penguins? Tune into COLAtoday’s Instagram this afternoon for a behind the scenes look at our local penguins.

Behind the scenes look at Riverbanks Zoo | Photo via COLAtoday Team

Gentoo penguin Riverbanks Zoo | Photo via COLAtoday Team

Behind the scenes look at Riverbanks Zoo | Photo via COLAtoday Team

King penguin at Riverbanks Zoo | Photo via COLAtoday Team

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