King Penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderSphenisciformes (Penguins)
- FamilySpheniscidae (Penguins)
- GenusAptenodytes (Great Penguins)
- SpeciesAptenodytes patagonicus (King Penguin)
About the King Penguin
The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin, smaller than but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin. King penguins mainly eat lanternfish, squid, and krill. On foraging trips, king penguins repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (300 ft), and have been recorded at depths greater than 300 metres (1,000 ft). Predators of the king penguin include giant petrels, skuas, the snowy sheathbill, the leopard seal, and the orca.
The king penguin breeds on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, southern Argentina, and other temperate islands of the region. It also lives on Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean and the Falkland Islands.
This bird was exploited commercially in the past for its blubber, oil, meat, and feathers. Today it is fully protected. In 1778, the English illustrator John Frederick Miller included a hand-coloured engraving of the king penguin in his Icones animalium et plantarum. He coined the binomial name Aptenodytes patagonica and specified the type locality as the Mari antarctico, the Antarctic Ocean. The locality was restricted to South Georgia by Gregory Mathews in... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of King Penguin in Table Mountain National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a King Penguin in Table Mountain National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a King Penguin sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see King Penguin in Table Mountain National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for King Penguin in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.