A large penguin recognized by vivid orange patches on the sides of its head.
Chicks remain at the breeding colonies through winter, while their parents feed at sea and return at irregular intervals.
King penguins breed on ice-free ground near the sea and incubate eggs on their feet. Chicks remain at the colony through winter while adults return from feeding at sea. Tracking has compared the length of these trips during incubation and early chick rearing.
In January–February 1993 on Possession Island in the Crozet Archipelago, recorders were fitted to 14 king penguins. Mean foraging trips lasted 14.1 days for eight incubating birds and 6.2 days for six birds tending chicks aged one to four weeks. Birds tending chicks returned to the colony sooner than incubating birds.
Chicks can fast for long periods while waiting for parents. The chicks’ winter ashore and the adults’ trips to sea involve different demands on time.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Breeding grounds lie near the sea, while food is caught offshore. Declines have been reported at some large colonies, making colony-level changes important to track.