When we encounter penguins, we see mostly the external features of the penguin: the feathers, eyes, wings, feet, etc. We'll begin the detailed anatomy section by identifying the numerous and basic superficial features. In this case, all the superficial features are external features.

    External features are very important for penguins. Although the primary means by which penguins differentiate each other is by vocalization, there are many external features which provide clues to penguins. These clues contain information regarding age, speciation, sex and many more. Look at this Yellow-eyed penguin. There are many characteristics of the external body which give us clues when we want to differentiate; they probably provide similar means for other penguins.

    The above image shows some of the features that we see when we look at a penguin. Most often we recognize the facial features of the penguin above all else, so when we talk about feathers that grow from the head of the penguin, now we can speak about them accurately. Some of these terms should be immediately obvious to us like crest, crown, forehead and chin. The two terms I want to elucidate are the auriculars and the jugulum. The auriculars are the feathers that cover the auditory canal on penguins. The jugulum is the most ventral portion of the throat. Remember these are all external features.

    The eye is one of the most dynamic features of the penguin, and there are several features that come in intimate contact with the eye externally. Primarily these refer to the features and skeletal ridges around the eye.

    The commissure is composed of skin that bridges the upper and lower mandible. All penguins have this structure, and it is varied in color across the species.

    Those are the primary facial features you should be able to identify in penguins. The rest of the features are bodily and they can be seen in the below image. They are useful when we talk about injuries to penguins or when we talk about portions of the penguin that are used in behaviours like the bill-to-axilla. We can also use these basic terms to describe plumage as well.

    Regions of the penguin are defined by the terms breast, abdomen (or belly), flank (the lateral portion of the penguin caudal to the abdomen that meets the wing/flipper), and the rump. Feather portions noted in this image are the scapulars which cover the proximal flipper and the axilla and the crural feathers. "Crural" refers to the leg.