King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
King penguins are extraordinary parents. While one parent guarding the chick, the other makes a trip of up to 400km (250 miles) in search of food. When the young are old enough, they are left with other juveniles so both parents can search for food. The adults return to the sea during the winter, leaving the chicks alone, and they are rarely fed during this time.
What do they sound like?
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Seals hunting penguins
Planet Earth
Penguins run the gauntlet of ferocious fur seals to reach their hungry chicks.
Earth Explorers
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King penguins catch a wave
For a king penguin, living in a tightly packed colony can get pretty smelly so what better way to clean up than to do a spot of surfing.
Earth News
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Penguin kidnaps mortal enemy
A king penguin has been observed trying to adopt the baby of its mortal enemy.
About the King penguin
The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at about 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies - A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere.
King penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (350 feet), often over 200 metres (700 feet). Thus the King Penguin dives far deeper than any other penguin, notably excluding their closest relative, the larger Emperor Penguin.
King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, as well as Tierra del Fuego, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing.
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Scientific Classification
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Penguin (Spheniscidae)
Species: King Penguin (patagonicus)
Other Aptenodytes
- Emperor penguin (forsteri)
The King penguin is
Adaptation data provided by Animal Diversity Web
Where can I see them?
They can be found in the following habitats:
Conservation Status
The King penguin is Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
- EX - Extinct
- EW
- CR - Threatened
- EN - Threatened
- VU - Threatened
- NT
- LC - Least concern
Year assessed: 2008
Elsewhere on the web
- King penguin - Aptenodytes patagonicus (arkive.org)
- Aptenodytes patagonicus (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- British Antarctic Survey: fact file (antarctica.ac.uk)
- British Museum: historical information (britishmuseum.org)
- King Penguin (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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