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| Description A comprehensive description of the characteristics of the taxon |
The King Penguin is the second largest penguin, standing at 85-95 cm tall. Males weigh approximately 16.5kg and females 14.3kg. |
| Diet and Feeding Diet and feeding details |
King penguins forage off shore for squid and fish at the Antarctic Polar Front feeding by pursuit-diving, using their flippers to "fly" underwater. |
| Habitat Includes realm (e.g. Terrestrial etc) and climatic information (e.g. Boreal); also includes requirements and tolerances; horizontal and vertical distribution; |
King penguin colonies occupy beaches, valleys and moraines free of snow and ice, usually on level ground near the sea. |
| Associations Predator-prey; host-parasite, pollinators, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism; hybridisation |
At sea, predators of king penguins include leopard seals and killer whales. Eggs and chicks are often taken by skuas, sheathbills and giant petrels. |
| Breeding biology Reproduction including mating habits, habitat usage in breeding, duration of breeding. |
King penguins breed on many of the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic islands between 46 and 55 degrees south. Eggs are laid from November to April every two out of three years. |
Relationships with other taxa
Species belongs to the following lists - Follow link on List Name to see list of all species.
| Type | List Name | Description | Status | Basis of Record |
| Antarctic-wide | Antarctic Birds | The definite list of Antarctic birds with status on breeding, vagrant or visitor to the region. | Visitor | Observation |
| Bioregion | Heard Island | includes McDonald Island | Breeding | Observation |
| Bioregion | Macquarie Island | Endemic | Observation |