Macaroni penguins Jan 20, 2024

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 2, 2025Spine-cheeked anemonefish
Sep 27, 2023French River, Ontario, Canada
Apr 21, 2025Joshua trees under the Milky Way, California, United States
Oct 24, 2025RMS Queen Mary, California
Aug 12, 2024African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Jun 18, 2025Asian swallowtail butterfly
Apr 7, 2025North American beaver, Moran, Wyoming, United States
Oct 27, 2025Thick-billed raven
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Sep 22, 2023Marsala salt pans, Italy
Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
Jun 7, 2025Summit of Pine Mountain, Angeles National Forest, California, United States
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Mar 22, 2025Cenote Nicte-Ha, Tulum, Mexico
Aug 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument
Aug 16, 2025Colourful beehives, Italy
Jan 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Dec 10, 2023Llyn Padarn lake, Snowdonia, Wales
May 3, 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA
Mar 13, 2025Gran Paradiso National Park, Piedmont, Italy
Jun 1, 2025Barrier reef off Grande Terre, New Caledonia, France
Feb 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California, USA
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam
Sep 20, 2025Swing carousel at Oktoberfest, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Mar 26, 2025Manatee in Crystal River, Florida, United States
Nov 11, 2023Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
Jun 10, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
Aug 21, 2023Emerald Lake, Yukon, Canada
Sep 26, 2025Least chipmunk