Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Sphenisciformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Genus: Aptenodytes
Species: A. patagonicus
Binominal name: Aptenodytes patagonicus
Sub species: Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus
Aptenodytes patagonicus halli
Common name: King penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus is the second largest species of penguin at 70 to 100 cm tall and weighs 11 to 16 kg. In size, it is second only to the emperor penguin. The King penguin is an upright bird with an orange flash on its upper breast. It walks, it does not hop.
There are two subspecies: Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic.
Aptenodytes patagonicus halli is found in New Zealand subantarctic and elsewhere.
King penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips, they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres and have been recorded at depths greater than 300 metres.
King penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region. The non-breeding range is poorly known due to vagrant birds having been recorded from the Antarctic Peninsula as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Vagrant birds of the subspecies Aptenodytes patagonicus halli have been recorded from Auckland harbour, Moeraki (Otago), Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie+Island and other Antipodes islands.
The two photos below are of the subspecies Aptenodytes patagonicus halli on Macquarie Island, Subantarctic.
Photo courtesy of Tamzin Henderson@ https://www.tamzinnz.com/
Map showing the distribution of the King penguin subspecies.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
