Kings were thought to be the greatest, until emperors came along. A similar rule applies to king penguins, who were first discovered by European explorers in the early 18th century.
They were once believed to be the largest penguin species until Captain James Cook spotted the even larger emperor penguins on his second voyage to the Antarctica. King penguins have since been regarded as the second largest penguin species in the world.
Adult king penguins weigh around 12 kilograms, with an average height of 85 to 95 centimeters. They are distinguished by black heads with a bright orange ear patch that tapers off into a thin strip on their upper chests. Their bills have a pinkish-red to orange-yellow stripe on the lower jaw, which reflects UV light.
King penguins are creatures of grit. It is no small feat to survive in a vast, frozen nature, and the majority reside in the sparsely vegetated areas of the sub-Antarctic islands. They are hardy foragers which feed primarily on fishes. To find food, king penguins can travel up to 500km from their colonies to the ocean. They can also go underwater to a maximum of 322m and remain for approximately 10 minutes.
These social animals usually assemble as a large group, accommodating up to 39,000 breeding pairs. Communal creches are found in large colonies, where chicks can stay together for protection while their parents are away foraging. There is strength in numbers and warmth too. During blizzards, king penguins huddle together to conserve heat.
Despite living in large groups, king penguins are resolute parents. They reach maturity at around three to five years old, yet breeding usually only starts at five. Before every nesting season, they gear up - males must store enough fat to sustain themselves through courtship, egg-laying and incubation, in a cycle that lasts for 14 to 16 months.
The incubation lasts about 54 days. During this time, both parents take part in incubating their one single egg, which rests on their feet. While one parent incubates, the other parent feeds. The males take on the first incubation shift, in which he would typically lose 30 percent of his body weight.
A breeding pair of king penguins remains faithful to each other for at least one nesting season. As parents, they continue to take care of their newborns for around a year by providing food and protection.
To facilitate the internal communication for locating mates and connecting with their offspring, they have a special two-voice system. The syrinx, their sound-producing organ, can create two acoustic sources - they can "speak" in two frequencies, allowing for a special parent-child channel.
King penguins are undoubtedly a species that require conservation effort. Their polar habitat involves one of the most fragile ecosystems.
Climate change affects seawater temperature and therefore shifts in the distribution of fishes. King penguins may need to travel further in search of food - which affects their feeding and breeding.
To help alleviate the effect of climate change, you could reduce carbon emissions by simply conserving electricity and eating less meat.
Visit the adorable king penguins in South Pole Spectacular of Ocean Park Hong Kong and learn more about how to conserve the species.
