History Main / PenguinsAreDucks

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Ratites such as cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostriches, rheas, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world. Millions of years ago. They are so long-diverged that ducks are more closely related to chickens than to penguins, and penguins are closer to albatrosses than to ducks. Nonetheless, a real-life animal did approach this trope: ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambolinetta Bambolinetta,]]'' a flightless wing-propelled duck occupying a similar niche to penguins.

* The penguins from ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' have long bills and webbed feet.

* ''WesternAnimation/WildKratts'': Lampshaded in "Mystery of the North Pole Penguins" where Martin refers to a family of emperor penfuins stranded in the Arctic as sitting ducks, only to then point out that penguins are not ducks but [[ShownTheirWork more closely related to albatrosses, loons, and petrels]].

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Ratites such as cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostriches, rheas, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world. Millions of years ago. They are so long-diverged that ducks are more closely related to chickens than to penguins, and penguins are closer to albatrosses than to ducks. Nonetheless, a real-life animal did approach this trope: ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambolinetta Bambolinetta]]'', a flightless wing-propelled duck occupying a similar niche to penguins.

Penguins in fiction tend to be given attributes of ducks because most people are more familiar with ducks than they are with penguins. Since penguins are both waterbirds and fairly unfamiliar to either writers or audiences, work creators tend to substitute in attributes from better-known, more familiar animals. Subtrope of InformedSpecies.

Fictional penguins may have soft, rounded beaks like a duck's bill while real penguins have sharp beaks like most birds. Fictional penguins might [[IncorrectAnimalNoise make quacking sounds]], when in reality they do [[https://youtu.be/BVMzjiOUpZo calls or squawks]] -- Emperor penguins have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Haxy5PvCuk a very distinctive call]] that can be heard for miles, and is probably the most recognisable noise produced by any penguin species, while African penguins are nicknamed "jackass penguins" because [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZsTzbiryU their calls]] sound remarkably like the braying of a donkey. Penguins in fiction also tend to have orange, flat webbed feet with no claws, much like a duck's feet.

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostriches, rheas, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world. They are so long-diverged that ducks are more closely related to chickens than to penguins, and penguins are closer to albatrosses than to ducks. Nonetheless, a real-life animal did approach this trope: ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambolinetta Bambolinetta]]'', a flightless wing-propelled duck occupying a similar niche to penguins.

Subtrope of ArtisticLicenseOrnithology and EverythingsBetterWithPenguins. Compare AllFlyersAreBirds, ZebrasAreJustStripedHorses, WhiteTailedReindeer, and AllAnimalsAreDogs. May overlap with FlyingFlightlessBird if the penguin is shown flying.

[[caption-width-right:350:Penguins have pointy beaks. So... why don't these ones?[[labelnote:Clockwise from top left]][[VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland Bumpty]], [[ComicStrip/BloomCounty Opus]], a ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' penguin, and WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}.[[/labelnote]]]]

Penguins in fiction tend to be given attributes of ducks because most people are more familiar with ducks than they are with penguins. Since penguins are both waterbirds and fairly unfamiliar to either writers or audiences, work creators tend to substitute in attributes from better-known, more familiar animals.

* During the duration of ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', Opus the penguin has seen his beak change from a somewhat more pointed duck-like version to a full-on puffin-like schnozz.

Penguins in fiction tend to be given attributes of ducks, because most people are more familiar with ducks than they are with penguins. Since penguins are both waterbirds and fairly unfamiliar to either writers or audiences, work creators tend to substitute in attributes from better-known, more familiar animals.

Fictional penguins may have soft, rounded beaks like a duck's bill, when real penguins have sharp beaks like most birds. Fictional penguins might [[IncorrectAnimalNoise make quacking sounds]], when in reality they do [[https://youtu.be/BVMzjiOUpZo calls or squawks]] -- Emperor penguins have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Haxy5PvCuk a very distinctive call]] that can be heard for miles, and is probably the most recognisable noise produced by any penguin species, while African penguins are nicknamed "jackass penguins" because [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZsTzbiryU their calls]] sound remarkably like the braying of a donkey. Penguins in fiction also tend to have orange, flat webbed-feet with no claws, much like a duck's feet.

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostrichs, rheas, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous, when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world. They are so long-diverged that ducks are more closely-related to chickens than to penguins, and penguins are closer to albatrosses than to ducks. Nonetheless a real-life animal did approach this trope: ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambolinetta Bambolinetta]]'', a flightless wing-propelled duck occupying a similar niche to penguins.

* KC Penguin, the mascot of Kid Cuisine, has many duck like features, especially his bill.

* ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'': The penguins all have orange or orangish-yellow beaks and feet which are soft and rounded. While the feet aren't quite like those of any bird in real life, the beaks and feet are still closer to those of a duck than a penguin.

* The website Debate.com has [[https://www.debate.org/opinions/are-penguins-ducks a debate]] on whether or not penguins actually are ducks. "No" is winning, but not by much. Those who claim "yes" cite all sorts of reasons why penguins are the same as ducks, most of which involve hilarious InsaneTrollLogic. Arguments include: because they evolved similarly, because you can't say otherwise unless you've actually seen a penguin in real life, or even simply because they're both birds.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}'' zig-zags this trope with the beaks, as sometimes penguins are shown with pointy bills and sometimes they are shown with round ones. Their feet also don't resemble feet of any real life bird, but look more like duck feet than penguin feet.

!!Examples

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* As played by Creator/BurgessMeredith, The Penguin, a recurring villain in ''Series/Batman1966'', sometimes makes quacking sounds like a duck at the end of sentences. However, the "Wauugh Wauugh" may not have been intended originally to evoke a duck's quack -- he'd improvised the laugh on the spot to cover a coughing fit he was having so he could save a take (Meredith had quit smoking years earlier but was called upon to smoke on screen as The Penguin, and obviously his throat and respiratory system were having none of it). The director liked it and said ThrowItIn as part of the character's quirks.

Fictional penguins may have soft, rounded beaks like a duck's bill, when real penguins have sharp beaks like most birds. Fictional penguins might [[IncorrectAnimalNoise make quacking sounds]], when in reality they do [[https://youtu.be/BVMzjiOUpZo calls or squawks]] - Emperor penguins have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Haxy5PvCuk a very distinctive call]] that can be heard for miles, and is probably the most recognisable noise produced by any penguin species, while African penguins are nicknamed 'jackass penguins' because [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZsTzbiryU their calls]] sound remarkably like the braying of a donkey. Penguins in fiction also tend to have orange, flat webbed-feet with no claws, much like a duck's feet.

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostrichs, rheas, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous, when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world. Nonetheless a real life animal did approach this trope: ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambolinetta Bambolinetta]]'', a flightless wing-propelled duck occupying a similar niche to penguins.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* The penguins from the 1934 Disney short ''[[WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies Peculiar Penguins]]'' have webbed-feet, bills shaped like that of a duck's, and while they are not necessarily making "quacks", their noises sound closer to that of ducks than penguins.

* The penguins in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' are often heard making quacking sounds. Of course, the show ''is'' set AfterTheEnd, so they could have sinply mutated.
* The penguins from the 1934 Disney short ''[[WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies Peculiar Penguins]]'' have webbed-feet, bills shaped like that of a duck's, and while they are not necessarily making "quacks", their noises sounded closer to that of ducks than penguins.

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostrichs, rheas, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous, when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world.

Fictional penguins may have soft, rounded beaks like a duck's bill, when real penguins have sharp beaks like most birds. Fictional penguins might [[IncorrectAnimalNoise make quacking sounds]], when in reality they do [[https://youtu.be/BVMzjiOUpZo calls or squawks]]. Penguins in fiction also tend to have orange, flat webbed-feet with no claws, much like a duck's feet.

Subtrope of ArtisticLicenseOrnithology and EverythingsBetterWithPenguins. Compare AllFlyersAreBirds, ZebrasAreJustStripedHorses, and AllAnimalsAreDogs. May overlap with FlyingFlightlessBird if the penguin is shown flying.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccbca420_7fa8_4ae7_af7e_7f335e6b19ff.png]]

* The penguins in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' are often heard making quacking sounds.

In terms of Linnaean taxonomy, penguins and ducks are only together up until Aves, the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order Sphenisciformes. In terms of cladistics, penguins and ducks are similarly very distant relatives; they are together up to the Neognathae infraclass, which contains all modern birds short of the most basal ones.[[note]]Cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostrichs, and tinamous, all comprising the sister infraclass, Paleognathae.[[/note]] Their lineage split during the Late Cretaceous, when non-avian dinosaurs still ruled the world.

In terms of scientific classification, penguins and ducks are only together up until ''Aves'', the class that all birds belong to. When you get to the next lowest classification, order, that's where they split. Ducks are in the order ''Anseriformes'' with other waterfowl like geese and swans, while penguins are in the order ''Sphenisciformes''.

** King Dedede is implied to be a penguin, yet he resembles a duck more due to his feet, his beak being rounded (although they do resemble lips), and just like Kirby, he can fly by [[InflatingBodyGag inhaling enough air]].

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Bumpties, a species of penguins appearing in the ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' and ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games, are often depicted with long, ducklike bills. [[https://www.mariowiki.com/File:BumptyYSArt.png This]] artwork from ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'', however, makes a Bumpty's beak look ducklike in a different way, by having it almost resemble lips.

* The penguins on ''Series/SesameStreet'' often make quacking sounds.

'''Comic Strips'''