Macaroni penguins Jan 20, 2024

Macaroni penguins

How many kinds of penguins can you name? Today"s snapshot features agile macaroni penguins swimming in the plankton-rich waters of the Drake Passage in Chile. These charming creatures are just one of 18 different species of penguin found in the Southern Hemisphere and can be recognised by their peculiar amber crests and prominent orange beak. Macaroni penguins gather in foraging groups, but males can be aggressive towards each other. To show passivity and avoid a fight, individuals often ease through colonies with their heads tucked down to their chests. Despite being beloved by us humans, penguins are threatened by reduced food availability, errant fishing nets and the profound impact of climate change on their habitat, sea ice.

© Paul Souders/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 20, 2026Gentoo penguin, Petermann Island, Antarctica

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Oct 3, 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Apr 18, 2025Göreme Historical National Park in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Sep 17, 2024Kerala, India
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
Aug 24, 2024Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, USA
Feb 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Jul 8, 2024Blueberries growing in the wild
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Sep 14, 2023Przewalskis horses, Hustai National Park, Mongolia
Jan 13, 2024Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Apr 22, 2024Green sea turtle
Feb 7, 2025Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
Jun 6, 2025Common pheasant, Normandy, France
Nov 18, 2025Male hooded merganser
Mar 11, 2026Peach trees in Cieza, Murcia, Spain
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland
Aug 21, 2024Nazca boobies
May 19, 2025Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Dec 11, 2025The summit of Mount Everest at sunset, seen from Renjo La, Nepal
Oct 4, 2023Tarantula Nebula
Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Sep 3, 2024Crystal Lake in the Enchantments, Washington, United States
Apr 19, 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Feb 18, 2024Sperm whale
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Mar 20, 2024Peveril Castle, Derbyshire, England
Jun 14, 2024Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Canada
Jul 18, 2025Eucalyptus forest, Urubici, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Nov 11, 2025Externsteine, Teutoburg Forest, Germany