Often the paths seem to be the most circuitous and difficult routes to the rookery, and in some cases the sites are located many kilometers from the ocean. More northern species may be resident in the area of the rookery. The emperor penguin breeds in one of the world's most inhospitable regions during one of the coldest periods of the year, laying and incubating its eggs in temperatures as low as -62° C (-80° F).

Most species of penguin lay a clutch of two eggs, which are white or greenish in color. Incubation periods vary according to species. King penguin eggs require more than 50 days of incubation before hatching, whereas jackass eggs hatch in 32 to 36 days.













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In general, both sexes incubate the eggs and feed the young. Most penguin chicks are covered with a sooty-gray down at hatching, although some have a pattern of soft grays and whites. Chicks of certain species remain confined to the burrow or nest through the entire nesting period, during which they are fed by their parents.