Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The joints barely bend, which makes it efficient in water and useless in air. The figure is taken from British Antarctic Survey, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A penguin's wing is a stiff bone flipper

The joints barely bend, which makes it efficient in water and useless in air The elbow and wrist are locked in a semi-fused shape, so the wing works as one blade. Dense bones help them dive and stay submerged without effort. Their black and white pattern breaks up their outline from above and below. It sits in Mondo's animals collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

British Antarctic Survey

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Nature & Animals trivia

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Tags: penguins, wings, swimming

A penguin's wing is a stiff bone flipper: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The joints barely bend, which makes it efficient in water and useless in air. The figure is taken from British Antarctic Survey, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.