Do penguins topple over while gazing at airplanes?

During the 1982 Falklands war British pilots reported that penguins toppled over backward while gazing at the planes. British navy pilots were then banned from flying low over penguin colonies. It led to a UK government study of the penguin-toppling effect. For seventeen days two helicopters were flown from varying directions and heights over the penguins. The result?

It’s official: penguins do not topple over while gazing at airplanes.

Do penguins fly?

There are 18 species of penguins. The largest of these is the Emperor penguin. Male Emperor penguins grow up to 1,2m (4 ft) tall and can dive down to depths of 265m (870 ft). Their bodies are kept warm by a thick layer of fat but to increase body heat they comb their feathers to trap air in them. All species of penguins live south of the Equator, but only six live in Antarctica. There are no penguins in the North Pole.

Graphic HT: eskimo.com

Video: Do penguins fly?