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King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) Size: 0.7-1.0 m Body mass: 9.3-18 kg

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description King Penguins are tall penguins with black heads and massive bodies covered with dense, well-insulating plumage. The back and the short tail are dark-grey, the front is creamy-white, with a golden to orange patch under the chin and orange patches behind the ears. The upper mandible of the bill is black, the sides of the lower mandible, except for the black tip, are orange. Their irises are brownish-grey. The legs are partly covered with feathers, the feet are dark-grey. The black wings are more like flippers. Juvenile King Penguins have paler ear patches than adults. Chicks have all-brown plumage, with a dark-grey bill and massive dark-grey legs and feet.

Taxonomy, classification See King Penguin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the King Penguin is available HERE . The range of King Penguins is circumpolar around Antarctica. There are two races of King Penguins. Race "patagonicus" is found in the South Atlantic and on islands around the southern tip of South America, race "halli" elsewhere. King Penguins breed on the fringes of Antarctica, on subantarctic islands and some islands farther North, with more moderate climates. King Penguins can also be found on the southern tip of South America. On Australian soil, race "halli" is found in Australian Antarctica and Macquarie Island, where they breed, and sometimes also on the South coast of Tasmania. King Penguins are non-flying pelagic birds that spend most of their time out in the open ocean and in coastal waters. They breed on offshore islands. Penguins can also spend much of their time on ice.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "patagonicus" Although found outside Australian territorial boundaries, for the sake of completeness we show here King Penguins of nominate race "patagonicus", seen by C. Pears at St Andrews Bay, South Georgia island, in December 2024. Race "halli" B. Hensen reports spotting King Penguins, race "halli", on Macquarie Island in December 1993.

Photos

Race "halli"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Colony of King Penguins on a rocky shore (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

A few "inspectors" come to check out the visitor (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Adult King Penguins in the background, juveniles and chicks still in brown downy plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Race "patagonicus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a King Penguin (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up frontal view of a King Penguin issuing its call (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up frontal/lateral portrait of two King Penguins (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up frontal/lateral view of two King Penguins (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Frontal view of a small mob of King Penguins, ready to board the ship? (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Near-frontal view of a resting King Penguin (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up near-lateral view of a King Penguin looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up lateral portrait of a King Penguin (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a resting King Penguin (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Lateral view of a King Penguin (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up dorsal view of a King Penguin looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Overview of a small mob of King Penguins (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Overview of a small mob of King Penguins (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Overview of part of a large breeding colony of King Penguins (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Overview of part of a large breeding colony of King Penguins (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a young King Penguin in the final stages of moulting into juvenile plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile King Penguin, left, and a chick (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up near-frontal view of a King Penguin chick moulting into juvenile plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up near-frontal view of a King Penguin chick moulting into juvenile plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up view of a number of King Penguin chicks in various stages of moulting into juvenile plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up frontal view of a King Penguin chick, front, with another behind it that is moulting into juvenile plumage, with an adult on the left (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up frontal view of a wet King Penguin chick (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up dorsal view of a King Penguin chick (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up frontal view of the flippers and the strong webbed feet of a King Penguin chick (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Nov - Apr

Eggs: 1

Incubation period: 50 - 60 days

Fledging age: 10 - 13 months

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: No nest

Material: N/A

Height above ground: N/A

King Penguins are one of those species of birds that do not build a nest at all. Instead, they have an egg pouch between their legs. The single egg is kept warm in the pouch on top of the feet.

Close-up near-lateral view of a King Penguin; above the feet one can clearly see a fold, which is the egg pouch (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Close-up lateral view of two King Penguins; on top of the feet of the bird at the back one can see a fold, which is the egg pouch (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

In this frontal view of a King Penguin one can see where the single egg will fit (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Using their tail as a prop, King Penguin have the ability to lift their toes - which brings an egg off the cold surface below
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 100 x 70 mm

Colour: Creamy white

Shape: Pyriform

Behaviour

Pair of King Penguins sharing a bit of "TLC", which is part of a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

In a King Penguin colony there is always something to discuss - these are the birds whose calls were recorded on 23 Dec. 2024 (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[December 2024]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

kingpen_cp_20241223.m4a	patagonius (South Georgia)	Squabbling	© CP
kingpen_cp_20241223_2.m4a	patagonius (South Georgia)	Begging calls (chicks)	© CP

More King Penguin sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.