What is a characteristic of penguins?

What is a characteristic of penguins?

• A. Strong Fliers With Aerial Agility
• B. Birds That Can Swim But Hunt On Land
• C. Flightless Birds That Are Fast and Graceful Swimmers
• D. Birds That Nest in Trees

Answer: (C)

Penguins illustrate how a bird can be flightless yet a superb swimmer. The key idea is how evolution shapes different abilities: their wings have become flippers for underwater propulsion, and their bodies are streamlined for fast, agile movement through water. That combination—that they cannot fly but are incredibly fast and graceful in the ocean—fits the best.

So, describing penguins as flightless birds that are fast and graceful swimmers captures both their inability to fly and their strong swimming ability. They hunt by swimming underwater, not on land, using their flippers to chase prey. They nest on the ground or ice, not in trees, which is why statements about nest-building in trees or strong aerial flight don’t apply.