Breeding
It may take 3 to 8 years before most penguins become sexually mature. The breeding period covers the time spent for mating until egg hatching. The breeding length and time varies, but most penguins breed from spring to summer. The emperor penguins only breed once per year during the Antarctic winter, which is from June to August. In contrast, the fairy penguin breeding cycle reoccurs all year long but is relatively short, lasting only for 50 days.