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The club-flippered penguin (Provectanthropornis clavalis) is a species of penguin that is native to much of the alpine and tundra coastlines of both the western and eastern side of Novolaurasia on Liera. The club-flippered penguin is closely related to, but not directly descended from the long-extinct Anthropornis that was harvested from Earth to Liera during the Oligocene, having adapted to deal with the colder coastal areas of the continent than their ancestors, developing a thicker layer of blubber and feathers to combat the cold.
The club-flippered penguin is a very large penguin, reaching the height of 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches) tall from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail, and having of mass of about 108 kilograms (238 lbs) in weight. Like all penguin species, club-flippered penguins are flightless, have streamlined bodies to minimize drag while swimming, and wings that are more like stiff, flat flippers. The tongue is equipped with rear-facing barbs to prevent prey from escaping when caught. Males and females are similar in size and colouration. The adult club-flippered penguin has deep black dorsal feathers, covering the head, chin, throat, back, dorsal part of the flippers, and tail. The black plumage is sharply delineated from the light-coloured plumage elsewhere. The underparts of the wings and belly are white, becoming pale gray in the neck base. The eyes are dark green in color.
The club-flippered penguin's average swimming speed is 8–12.5 km/h (4.9–7.7 mph). Club-flippered penguins also "porpoise", a swimming technique used to breathe while maintaining speed. On land, the club-flippered penguin alternates between walking with a wobbling gait and tobogganing—sliding over the ice on its belly, propelled by its feet and wing-like flippers. The club-flippered penguin dives to depths of 200–350 meters (656–1148 feet), spending between seven to nine minutes submerged, during daylight hours, and less than 70 metres (229 ft) at night. Club-flippered penguins eat various species of small fish, squid, jellyfish, marine worms, and krill. Fish constitute roughly 80% of their diet, except in winter months of January and February, when they make up only around 30%.
The club-flippered penguin is able to breed at three years of age, although only a very small minority actually do then; the average age of first breeding is around 5–6 years. Club-flippered penguins are serially monogamous. They have only one mate each year, and stay faithful to that mate. However, fidelity between years is less than 30%. The unusually long breeding cycle probably contributes to this low rate. The club-flippered penguin has an extremely prolonged breeding cycle, taking around 14–16 months from laying to offspring fledging. Although pairs will attempt to breed annually, they are generally only successful one year in two, or two years in three in a triennial pattern in the species' southernmost range. The reproductive cycle begins in March to May, as birds return to colonies for a prenuptial moult. Those that were unsuccessful in breeding the previous season will usually arrive earlier. They then return to the sea for around three weeks before coming ashore in June or July.
The female club-flippered penguin lays one pyriform (pear-shaped) white egg weighing 700 grams (1.5 lb). It is initially soft, but hardens and darkens to a pale greenish colour. It measures around 22 centimeters × 16 centimeters (8.6 inches × 6.2 inches). The egg is incubated for around 55 days with both birds sharing incubation in shifts of 6–18 days each. Like the penguins of the genus Aptenodytes the, the club-flippered penguin balances the egg on its feet and incubates it in a "brood pouch". Hatching may take up to 2–3 days to complete, and chicks are born semi-altricial and nidicolous. In other words, they have only a thin covering of down, and are entirely dependent on their parents for food and warmth. The guard phase begins with the hatching of the chick. The young club-flippered penguin chick spends its time balanced on its parents' feet, sheltered in the brood pouch formed from the abdominal skin of the latter. During this time, the parents alternate every 3–7 days, one guarding the chick while the other forages for food. The guard phase lasts for 30–40 days. By then the chick has grown much larger, and is better able to both keep warm and protect itself against most predators. Club-flippered penguin chicks are very curious and will wander far when exploring their surroundings. The chicks form a group, called a crèche and are watched over by only a few adult birds; most parents leave their chick in these crèches to forage for themselves and their chick. Other species of penguins also practice this method of communal care for offspring.
The club-flippered penguin is listed on CITES Appendix I, which means that all international commercial trade in club-flippered penguins or their body parts is prohibited. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2006, as the club-flippered penguin is not currently thought to be threatened and have thrived in areas near Lieran people settlements. However, captive breeding programs may be beneficial for the species' survival.