Penguins have long captured the imagination and hearts of people around the world.

Penguins have long captured the imagination and the hearts of people the world over. But while popular culture depicts them as clumsy, adorable birds with endlessly abundant populations, the truth is that penguins are exceedingly graceful, often ornery, and their populations are in rapid free fall. Their real life situation is far more precarious than people think. And if current trends do not change, it may not be long before penguins can only be found in movies. There are many things about penguins that make them odd birds, so to speak.