A new, 36-million-year-old Peruvian penguin species--the water king--swam in shades of red and brown, a new study says. Some adults have … Cookies are small files that we send to your computer or mobile phone to make your time on our websites as awesome as possible. The king penguin has the longest breeding cycle of all the penguin species, lasting 14 to 16 months. Fun Facts. Interesting King penguin Facts: King penguin can reach 3.1 feet in height and 33 pounds of weight. King Penguin. 3. The orange coloration extends to the upper chest. Diet Squids & fishes Incubation Approximately 55 days Sexual Maturity 4 to 5 years Life Span 15 to 20 years Range Enjoy our fun penguin facts for kids. His photography has appeared in National Geographic and The New York Times, on BBC, CNN, and elsewhere. For the 2016 centennial of the U.S. National Park Service, Jonathan is on a year-long road trip with an Airstream visiting and photographing all 59 of America’s national parks. Thousands of the metre-tall kings are standing together, their young close by at various stages of development. The pupil of a penguin's eye is circular. King penguin is the second largest species of penguin (emperor penguin is the largest). However, when constricted, the pupils of a king penguin's eye are square. A female king penguin may produce a chick during alternate breeding seasons. Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Size 94 cm (37 in.) Fast Facts Description The king penguin has a black head, chin, and throat, with vivid orange, tear-shaped patches on each side of the head. King penguins have established colonies across seven islands and island groups in the southern reaches of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Learn about the Emperor Penguin, King Penguin, Crested Penguin, Little Blue Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin and more. Cookies are small files that we send to your computer or mobile phone to make your time on our websites as awesome as possible. King penguins walk slowly and do not hop. It has prominent dark yellow or orange-colored markings on both sides of the head, and orange-colored plumage on the upper part of the chest. There the males stand, for about 65 days, through icy temperatures, cruel winds, and blinding storms. This website uses cookies (not edible ones!). There are two subspecies of king penguin, one restricted to the islands of South Georgia and Falkland islands, and the other in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. King Penguins Facts - Aptenodytes patagonica. Back in 1971 there were just 31 breeding pairs of king penguins at Volunteer Green on East Falkland island, but today there are more than 1,500 – it’s the second-largest and most accessible colony of king penguins in the world. This website uses cookies (not edible ones!). Penguins vary widely in shape and size, with the emperor penguin being the largest weighing up to 41 kilograms and the little penguin being the smallest, averaging only 1 kilogram. One of the species that people think of when the think of penguins. But with sea ice appearing later and disappearing sooner, they now often congregate close to shore, where the penguin colonies are. Fortunately, that’s where we’re visiting! Read on to find out what makes penguins unique members of the animal kingdom. Weight 13.5 to 16 kg (30 to 35 lbs.) It can be found on various Sub-Antarctic islands. King penguin spends part of its life in the water, where it collects food, and the second part on the beaches and flat … These half-tonne predators sometimes toy with penguins, slapping them against the sea surface. King penguin has dark grey or black plumage on the head and back, and white plumage on the belly. King penguins are very upright, dignified and handsome birds and when they emerge from the sea pristine and glistening there can be no cleaner or more elegant creature around. Typically leopard seals hunt alone from offshore ice floes. Each penguin egg's father balances it on his feet and covers it with his brood pouch, a very warm layer of feathered skin designed to keep the egg cozy.