Emperor Penguin

The tallest and heaviest living penguin species, breeding exclusively on the sea ice fringing Antarctica through the southern winter, the only bird species known to breed during that season. After the female lays a single egg, the male alone incubates it, balanced on his feet beneath a fold of skin, for roughly two months through the Antarctic winter's extreme cold and darkness while surviving on stored fat reserves, huddling with other incubating males in tight rotating groups to conserve heat. Emperor penguins can dive deeper and longer than any other bird, reaching depths beyond 500 meters in pursuit of fish, squid and krill, and their breeding success depends closely on stable sea ice, which has made the species a closely watched indicator of Antarctic climate change.