How do penguins keep their nests so tidy?

Pressures produced when penguins pooh — calculations on avian defaecation

Penguins keep their nests tidy by aiming their droppings up to 40 cm away. Scientists calculated the pressure.

Meyer-Rochow, V. B., & Gal, J. · Polar Biology, 2003

Ig Nobel 2005

Penguins are very house-proud: they turn around and send their droppings well clear of the nest. The researchers measured how far it travels.

They calculated that penguins generate pressures several times higher than a human can. A proper physics paper, written with a twinkle in its eye.

the verdict

Penguins: adorable, tidy, and surprisingly powerful.