View source for Penguin/Catalogs/Penguins in the northern hemisphere

[[Image:Galapagos-penguin.jpg|thumb|right|350px|This [[Galápagos penguin]] lives around the [[equator]].]]
Despite the fact that nearly all penguin species are native to [[Earth]]'s [[southern hemisphere]], there are, remarkably, [[penguin]]s in the [[northern hemisphere]] as well. These [[flight]]less [[bird]]s are at large in northern waters not only because there are penguin [[bird colony|colonies]] on [[island]]s crossing the [[equator]], but also because of two attempts to introduce penguins to the [[Arctic Circle]].
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==Equatorial penguins==
Although most penguins' natural [[habitat]] lies well within the [[southern hemisphere]], many ''do'' live further [[north]]. The [[Galápagos penguin]] is the sole equatorial [[species]], living mainly in colonies of several hundred birds on two of the [[Galápagos Islands]] west of [[Ecuador]] in [[South America]]. Because the northernmost point of [[Fernandina Island]] lies just inside the northern hemisphere, it is possible for these penguins to make regular incursions into the north.

==Penguins in the Arctic Circle==
The possibility of penguins in the [[Arctic Circle]] living for some time cannot be conclusively ruled out, as there have been at least two attempts to introduce them to the northern hemisphere.

===The Arctic: a habitat unfit for penguins===
Penguins have certainly not themselves made the [[Arctic]] their home; the Earth's poles are probably too far apart for these [[animal]]s to make the journey. Penguin experts would not recommend introducing a penguin colony towards the [[North Pole]] as they would count as an [[invasive species]], possibly disrupting the [[ecosystem]] and disturbing the [[food chain]]; this could threaten other [[wildlife]]. Alternatively, penguins would be unable to [[competition|compete]] successfully with local species, meaning they would succumb to [[starvation]], [[disease]] or [[predation]]. 

===Penguins artificially introduced to the Arctic===
Despite fears that penguins would not survive in Arctic conditions, groups of these animals ''have'' been introduced to the north. In the [[nineteenth century]], the [[great auk]] was [[hunting|hunted]] to [[extinction]] by [[whaling|whalers]]; 1930s [[science|scientist]]s speculated that penguins could fill this [[ecological niche]], providing a source of [[meat]] and [[egg]]s.<ref>Modern science has also noted the similarities between the unrelated species of penguins and auks as an example of [[convergent evolution]]; see Van Tuinen ''et al''. (2001: 1349-1350).<blockquote>Van Tuinen M, Butvill DB, Kirsch JAW & Hedges SB (2001) '[http://evo.bio.psu.edu/hedgeslab/Publications/PDF-files/128.pdf Convergence and divergence in the evolution of aquatic birds]'. ''Proceedings of the Royal Society B'' 268: 1345-1350.</blockquote></ref> In 1936, a team from the [[Norwegian Nature Protection Society]] led by [[Carl Schoyen]] released nine [[king penguin]]s in northern [[Norway]]. In 1938, a separate group released several [[macaroni penguin|macaroni]] and [[jackass penguin]]s into the same region. For most individual penguins, the trail then went cold; one was certainly killed by a local huntswoman who apparently mistook it for a [[demon]], and another was caught on a [[fishing]] line as late as 1944, apparently in good [[health]].  No others were conclusively sighted.<ref>''[[New Scientist]]'': '[http://www.newscientist.com/backpage.ns?id=mg18725133.000 Job swap].' 20th August 2005.</ref>

No further attempts to introduce penguins to the Arctic Circle are on record; any penguins north of the equator are confined to [[zoo]]s, with some also acting as [[mascot]]s for various organisations.<ref>For example, a king penguin from [[Edinburgh Zoo]] has been made  an honorary [[regimental sergeant major]] in the [[Norwegian Army]]. See ''[[BBC]] News'': '[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1495503.stm Penguin picks up military honour]'.</ref><ref>[[Linus Torvalds]], the creator of the [[Linux]] [[operating system]], is from the northern hemisphere nation of [[Finland]], and is also fond of penguins, to the extent that a [[cartoon]] version has become the [[Tux|official Linux mascot]]. Perhaps this tenuous association between penguins and [[Finnish people]] has also encouraged the myth of the 'Arctic penguin'.</ref>

==Penguins of the southern hemisphere found further north than usual==
Occasionally, other species of penguin are spotted much further north than their natural grounds, though still inside the southern hemisphere. As these [[animal]]s make good [[swimming|swimmer]]s, it is possible for them to journey considerable distances, as one [[magellanic penguin]] from southern [[Chile]] proved, the bird travelling 3000 [[mile]]s (5000 [[kilometre]]s) to end up in [[Peru]].<ref>''[[BBC]] News'': [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6647485.stm Confused penguin strays 5,000km].' 11th May 2007.</ref> Larger groups of Antarctic species also regularly wash up on the [[coastline]] of [[Brazil]] every year, having floated thousands of miles on melting [[ice floe]]s or carried off by [[ocean current]]s, perhaps while learning to swim. While this phenomenon has kept Brazilian [[zoo]]s well-supplied with penguins, and given locals the opportunity to take as pets these survivors of [[shark]]-infested waters,<ref>''Guardian'': '[http://www.guardian.co.uk/globalwarming/story/0,7369,423922,00.html Victims of global warming?]' 18th January 2001. The extent to which [[global warming]] is responsible for this movement remains controversial.</ref> more recently the [[Government of Brazil|Brazilian government]] has arranged for hundreds of the birds to be repatriated to Antarctica with the help of the [[Brazilian air force|air force]] and [[Brazilian navy|navy]].<ref>''[[BBC]] News'': [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7652171.stm Lost penguins get Brazil air lift]'. 4th October 2008.</ref><ref>''BBC News'': [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5233312.stm Brazil to take penguins back home].' 31st July 2006.</ref>

==The 'Arctic penguin' and the word 'penguin'==
The [[myth]] of the 'Arctic penguin' persists on the [[internet]],<ref>''Superspoof.com'': [http://www.superspoof.com/penguin Save the Arctic Penguin Campaign]'.</ref> possibly encouraged by various factors, from casual [[birdwatching|birdwatcher]]s mistaking [[auk]]s for penguins, to [[Christmas]] cards featuring penguins alongside northern [[polar bear]]s.<ref>There is also a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[cruise ship]], the ''[http://www.inveraraypier.com/arcticfacts.html Arctic Penguin]''; how much this name has misled [[tourism|tourist]]s is unknown.</ref> Indeed, one story on the origin of the [[word]] ''penguin'' claims that [[Welsh language|Welsh]]-speaking [[sailor]]s named auks ''pen gwyn'' ('white head'), which were then mistaken for penguins in the northern hemisphere. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' disputes this story, noting that the [[etymology]] of the word is obscure.<ref>''Askoxford.com - ask the experts'': '[http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwordorigins/penguin?view=uk What is the origin of the word 'penguin'?]'. See [[Penguin#Where does the word 'penguin' originate?|Where does the word 'penguin' originate?]] in the [[Penguin]] article, for more linguistic confusion.</ref>

==Footnotes==
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