Found in South America and Antarctica Hear Their Calls
King Penguins, with their bright orange cheeks and brushed yellow napes, call the islands sprawling between South America and Antarctica (such as Falkland, South Georgia, South Sandwich, and others) their kingdom. They gather in impressive groups of 100,000 breeding pairs near level beaches and plains where they have easy access to the ocean, their food source.
When it comes to breeding, King Penguins pair off with one mate per season and tag-team the care of their vulnerable egg. Female King Penguins have a long breeding cycle of 13-16 months and may only successfully breed every other season; when they do lay an egg, they do not build a nest but incubate the egg by holding it on top of their feet and covering it with their brood patch, a patch of skin that keeps the egg warm. Once chicks are born between November and April, they may fast for months at a time while their parents are out hunting for fish (they can catch up to 2,000 lantern fish per day!) to bring back to feed them via regurgitation.
Fun fact: The King Penguin is the second-largest penguin species in the world, slightly smaller than Emperor Penguins. They stand between 28 to 39 inches tall and weigh between 21 and 40 pounds (males are slightly larger).
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