Natures royalty: King penguin

King penguin colony (Aptenodytes patagonicus), Gold Harbour, South Georgia, Antarctic, Polar Regions

The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin, smaller, but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin. There are two subspecies: A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli in the South Indian Ocean (at the Kerguelen Islands, Crozet Island, Prince Edward Islands and Heard Island and McDonald Islands) and at Macquarie Island Habitat King penguins breed on subantarctic islands that are located…

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Natures Trumpeter: Gentoo penguin

Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua), underwater in clear water in Lindblad Cove, Trinity Peninsula, Antarctica, Polar Regions

The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a penguin species (or possibly a species complex) in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely related to the Adélie penguin (P. adeliae) and the chinstrap penguin (P. antarcticus). The species calls in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting, which the bird emits with its head thrown back. Habitat These charismatic waddlers, who…

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Antarctic expert: The Emperor penguin

The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 100 cm (39 in) in length and weighing from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb). Feathers of the head and back are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear…

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