King penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
We have a bachelor group of king penguins here at Edinburgh Zoo, including the world's only knighted penguin – Major General Sir Nils Olav!
King penguins were one of the very first species at the zoo and in 1919 we welcomed our first chick, making us the first zoo in the world to successfully breed the species. Because of this long and wonderful history, our logo and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s crest feature a king penguin.
On Thursdays - Sundays at 2:15pm, our penguin colony will take part in the Wee Waddle, a reimagined version of the world-famous Penguin Parade. This new experience will allow visitors the chance to get up close to see the gentoo, rockhopper and king penguin colony take a stroll along the walkway before they explore a new area outside of their usual habitat.
Population
Increasing
IUCN August 2018
Diet
Piscivore
Habitat
Oceans
Fact file
King penguins are the second largest penguin species (emperor penguins are the largest)
They can dive to amazing depths to hunt their prey – sometimes up to 300 metres!
King penguins lay only one egg and incubate it on top of their feet, both the male and female will share incubation duties and take care of the chick when it hatches
Latest king penguin news
How we're helping
Like all the animals in our care our king penguins are amazing ambassadors for their relatives in the wild and help hundreds of thousands of people connect with nature every year. They encourage visitors to learn about the threats facing wildlife and the action they can take to help create a world where nature is protected, valued and loved.
As a wildlife conservation charity, we care for the animals here at the zoo and work to protect species at risk around the world. From providing expertise in genetics and veterinary health, to protecting wild places with local conservation partners, and even restoring threatened species to the wild, we are active where we are needed most.
Find out more about RZSS conservation