what does a penguin say

Penguins don’t have a single, simple “catchphrase” sound; they make a whole mix of noises like chirps, trills, growls, honks, and brays, depending on the species and situation.

Quick Scoop: What does a penguin say?

• Many penguins chirp and peep in short, high-pitched calls, especially when communicating with mates or chicks.

• Some species trill (a rolling, almost musical sound) and growl when annoyed or defending their space.

• Emperor penguins are famous for a deep, trumpeting call that carries across noisy colonies.

• African penguins often bray like a donkey , which is why they’re nicknamed “jackass penguins.”

• Gentoo penguins can honk, trumpet, and bray, with different calls for courtship, calling partners, or general colony chatter.

Why so many different sounds?

• Each penguin has an individually recognizable “voice print,” helping partners and chicks find each other in huge, crowded colonies.

• Calls can mean “I’m here,” “This is my territory,” “Stay away,” or “Come feed me,” depending on pitch and rhythm.

• Some species even hiss when threatened or protecting nests.

Fun, forum-style angle

If you drop into a cute-animal forum thread titled “what does a penguin say,” you’ll usually see people joking that it says something like “HONK” or “BRAY,” then linking to videos of squawking, croaking, or donkey-like calls. In other words, the real answer is: penguins sound surprisingly loud, a bit goofy, and very different from the smooth “tweet” you might expect from a typical bird.

So if you’re imagining it in your head, think less “songbird melody” and more a chaotic mix of honks, chirps, trills, growls, and the occasional donkey-style bray.

TL;DR: A penguin “says” chirps, trills, honks, growls, hisses, and even donkey-like brays, with each species and individual using a unique call to communicate in noisy colonies.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.