7 facts about the Penguins who call Pittsburgh home

PITTSBURGH — National Penguin Day is a great time to celebrate not just our city’s professional hockey team but also the other penguins who call Pittsburgh home.

Here are 7 things to know about the pens in the Burgh:

1) The National Aviary welcomed a new endangered African Penguin chick earlier this month. The new chick hatched on Jan. 3, making it the eleventh African Penguin to hatch at the National Aviary.

2) African Penguins, like those at the National Aviary, are one of 18 species of penguins found throughout the Southern Hemisphere. They’re also the smallest penguins.

3) The Pittsburgh Zoo is home to two different penguin species: macaroni and gentoo penguins. Macaroni penguins are one of the largest species of crested penguins. They have a golden tuft of feathers on the top of their heads. Gentoo penguins are lightly larger than macaroni penguins but do not have yellow feathers.

4) When they’re open, both the National Aviary and Pittsburgh Zoo offer wild encounters with their penguins. Currently, the Pittsburgh Zoo is closed through February.

5) The Pittsburgh Penguins NHL organization was started in 1967 and celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2017 season.

6) The Penguins got their team name because they would be playing their home games in an “igloo” – which was the nickname for the Civic Arena. The original logo featured a penguin in front of a triangle which was meant to signify the Golden Triangle of downtown Pittsburgh.

7) The Penguins rank seventh in the NHL with five Stanley Cup wins. The Montreal Canadiens lead the league with 24 Stanley Cups.