Longest penguin beak

The longest beak recorded for any species of penguin belonged to the giant spear-billed penguin Icadyptes salasi – a prehistoric giant penguin that lived in Peru and elsewhere in tropical South America during the late Eocene epoch, approximately 36 million years ago. Its beak was disproportionately long, accounting for almost two-thirds of its skull's entire length, and measured approximately 25 cm. This is far longer than the stubby beaks of today's penguins as well as that of any other prehistoric species. Unlike those of other penguins, its beak was both very long and also distinctly pointed, like that of a heron, and it is believed that this species used it to spear or harpoon fishes, just like herons do. It is the only prehistoric penguin for which an entire skull has been found, and based upon other fossil finds it is estimated to have stood up to 1.5 m tall, thus making it the third tallest species of penguin currently known to science.