Bird guideKing Penguin

Yellow: Aptenodytes patagonicus halli Green: breeding areas The king penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) is the second largest species of penguin , smaller than but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin .

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyPenguins
SizeGiant
RarityCommon
Habitatsparse woodland, open woodland, closed forest, waterbodies, and grassland
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from December.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Meena Haribal

Range map

Range map

6visible hotspots
18visible records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Also note the golden neck patches (can fade to whitish on immatures) and pink bill base (bill starts out black on immature). Breeding season requires more than a year, so birds can be seen year-round at colonies.

Behavior

The long and stout bill distinguishes King from the even larger but shorter-billed Emperor Penguin, which is a true Antarctic species, rarely seen far from ice.

Regional timing

Tasmania
Peak: December1,147 records
South Australia
Peak: February15 records
Western Australia
Peak: March1 records
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