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KING PENGUIN FACTS |
Description
The King Penguin is the second largest penguin (after the Emperor Penguin), and the largest penguin recorded in Australia. The head is black, back is grey and chest is white. The back of the head has a yellow tear-shaped mark. Bill has pink at base. Chicks have a thick brown downy coat and develop adult plumage after about 2 years. The Emperor Penguin is similar, but larger in size, and has paler marking on the neck.
Size
91cm
Habitat
oceans, sub-Antarctic islands
Food
fish, squid, crustaceans
Breeding
Lays a single white egg about 10cm in length. The adult birds take turns incubating the egg which hatches after about 55 days.
Range
Breeds on sub-Antarctic islands including Macquarie Island and Heard Island. Has been recorded as a vagrant on coast of Tasmania and Victoria
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Sphenisciformes | | Family: | Spheniscidae | | Genus: | Aptenodytes | | Species: | patagonicus | | Common Name: | King Penguin |
Relatives in same Genus
Emperor Penguin (A. forsteri)
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