<P> After laying , the mother 's nutritional reserves are exhausted and she very carefully transfers the egg to the male , before immediately returning to the sea for two months to feed . The transfer of the egg can be awkward and difficult , and many couples drop the egg in the process . When this happens , the chick inside is quickly lost , as the egg can not withstand the freezing temperatures on the icy ground . The male spends the dark winter incubating the egg in his brood pouch , balancing it on the tops of his feet , for 64 consecutive days until hatching . The emperor penguin is the only species where this behaviour is observed ; in all other penguin species both parents take shifts incubating . By the time the egg hatches , the male will have fasted for around 115 days since arriving at the colony . To survive the cold and winds of up to 200 km / h ( 120 mph ) , the males huddle together , taking turns in the middle of the huddle . They have also been observed with their backs to the wind to conserve body heat . In the four months of travel , courtship , and incubation , the male may lose as much as 20 kg ( 44 lb ) , from a total mass of 38 to 18 kg ( 84 to 40 lb ) . </P>
where do female emperor penguins go in the winter
to the sea for two months to feed