King Penguin: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Penguins and Puffins · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. King penguins often dive below 100 m. The deepest king penguin dive on record, 343 m, was near the Falkland Islands.
2. King penguins balance the egg on their feet. Both parents take turns, in shifts of 6 to 18 days, for about 55 days.
3. On land, a king penguin sometimes toboggans: it slides over the ice on its belly, pushed by its feet and flippers.
4. To feed a chick, a king penguin swallows fish, lets it partly digest, then brings it back up into the chick's mouth.
5. Being so big, king penguin chicks need 14 to 16 months before heading to sea. Smaller penguins raise chicks in one summer.

The quiz

1. What is the deepest king penguin dive on record?

• 100 metres
• 343 metres (correct)
• 50 metres
• 1,000 metres

The record dive, near the Falkland Islands, reached 343 metres.

2. Where does a king penguin balance its egg?

• In a burrow
• Under its wing
• In a nest of stones
• On its feet (correct)

King penguins balance the egg on their feet and incubate it in a brood pouch.

3. What does tobogganing mean for a king penguin?

• Sliding over the ice on its belly (correct)
• Jumping between rocks
• Rolling down hills sideways
• Gliding through the air

Tobogganing means scooting over the ice on its belly, pushed by its feet and flippers.

4. How does a king penguin feed its chick?

• It drops whole fish on the ground
• It brings seaweed
• It carries krill in its feet
• It regurgitates slightly digested fish into the chick's mouth (correct)

It swallows fish, lets it partly digest, then brings it up for the chick.

5. How long do king penguin chicks take before they are ready for the sea?

• 3 to 4 months
• 6 to 8 months
• 14 to 16 months (correct)
• 30 months

Because they are so big, king penguin chicks need 14 to 16 months before going to sea.

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