In 1994, our original King Penguins arrived on special charter flights from the Sea World aquariums in San Antonio, Texas, USA. We have some real characters amongst the colony. One of our 'biggest' personalities is 'Toddy'. He’s the darling amongst staff, who have composed a special song which they sing to him. 'Toddy' replies with a loud, appreciative trumpet. He's very cool!

 

Scientific Name:      Aptenodytes patagonicus

Weight:                     15-20 kgs, averaging 16 kgs

Height:                      85-95 cms

Lifespan:                  17-22 years, generally longer in captivity

Diet at Kelly's:          Herring, sprats, salmon, mussels, squid and krill

Unique Traits:          An unusually long breeding season from November to April

Nests:                        None, balance their one egg on their feet

 

Breeding:

King penguin breeding season at Kelly Tarlton’s starts from November and runs through to April. The Kings reach sexual maturity at approximately 3 years of age, and lay a single egg which they incubate on their feet rolling their brood pouch over it. Both parents take turns at incubating the egg which hatches after 53-55 days. Once hatched, King chicks weigh approximately 180grams and are fed partially digested fish that is regurgitated by parents to the chick.

Penguin Facts:

• The King is the second largest of the 17 species of Penguin. The largest is the Emperor Penguin.
• The King Penguin’s breeding season runs from November to April.
• King Penguins lay just a single egg. Instead of making a nest like most birds, Kings incubate their egg on their feet. Incubation takes 53 to 55 days and the job of caring for the egg is shared between both parents.
• King Penguin babies can take up to 13 months to fledge but it is generally 8-10 months. This is when they replace their fluffy brown down with sleek adult feathers