King Penguin

The King Penguin is a large, elegant penguin second in size only to the Emperor Penguin, distinguished by vivid, sharply defined orange-yellow patches on the ears that curve down to a matching patch on the upper chest, set against a black head and silvery-grey back. Its long, slender bill has a distinctive orange-pink stripe along the lower mandible. Chicks are covered in thick brown down and were once mistaken for a separate species, nicknamed "woolly penguins," due to their very different appearance from adults.

King Penguins breed in dense, spectacular colonies on sub-Antarctic islands, with an unusually long breeding cycle that means chicks may still be raised the following season.

Key field marks

• Large size, second only to the Emperor Penguin
• Bold, sharply demarcated orange-yellow ear and chest patches against a black head
• Long, slender bill with an orange-pink stripe along the lower mandible

Similar species

• Emperor Penguin is larger and bulkier with more muted, blended chest coloring rather than sharply defined orange patches.
• No other penguin combines the King's slim build with such vivid, crisp ear patches.

Habitat

Breeds on ice-free sub-Antarctic islands with open beaches and tussock grass; forages in cold, productive waters of the Southern Ocean.

Range

Breeds on sub-Antarctic islands including South Georgia, the Falklands, Crozet, Kerguelen, and Macquarie Island.

Migration

Does not undertake long-distance migration but makes extended foraging trips at sea, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the colony.

Behavior

Breeds in extremely dense, noisy colonies that can number in the hundreds of thousands, with an unusually long breeding cycle spanning over a year, meaning colonies often contain chicks and eggs at different stages simultaneously.

Voice

Gives loud, trumpeting calls used for mate and chick recognition within crowded colonies.

Feeding

Dives to considerable depths to catch fish, particularly lanternfish, and squid.

Nesting

Lays a single egg incubated on top of the feet beneath a brood pouch, with no true nest, alternating incubation duties between both parents over an extended breeding season.