King penguin

The King penguin is the larger second Espèce of Manchot after the Emperor penquin with which it forms the kind Aptenodytes .

Description

The adult King penguin measures between 85 and 95 cm and usually weighs between 12 and 14 kg. However, according to the periods of fast, this weight can vary from 8 with 20 kg. The female generally weighs 2 kg less. Its nozzle measures approximately 13 cm and its wings approximately 34 cm. This bird resembles much the Emperor penquin from which it is characterized by the smaller size, the orange auricular spots sharp in the shape of spoon and the base of the orange mandible lower than reddish.

The youthful ones are paler, with sometimes a black nozzle.

Behavior

The King penguin nourishes itself only at sea. Like all the penguins, its form Hydrodynamique and massive ensures a good penetration in water to him while the specific structure of its plumage ensures proofing and thermo isolation to him.

The penguins moult periodically to preserve this sealing. The moult takes place before the period of reproduction, making it possible the penguins to cover a beautiful attractive plumage for the parades. The king penguin plunges regularly to a depth of 150 to 300 m and could go down until 500 Mr.

Habitat

The King penguin is divided into two under-espèces : Aptenodytes patagonica patagonica and Aptenodytes patagonica halli . On this chart, the red zone corresponds to the center of population of the King penguin “patagonica” and those in yellow with those of the King penguin “halli”.

In green the zones of reproduction are represented.

Reproduction

A contrario of the majority of the other penguins, the King penguin nidifie not. Indeed, reproducing on very cold grounds, this characteristic makes it possible to facilitate the Incubation. The single laid egg is kept on the feet of the parents, covered by a fold with skin with the belly. The penguins remain in couple until the small penguin is tall. They thus deal in turn with egg then the small one. During the 55 days of incubation of egg, the parents occupy themselves some alternatively per periods of 6 with 18 days. That of the parents who does not brood share to nourish themselves with the broad one. With the return of a relative an action délicate is started;: to make pass egg of a penguin relative to the other. It happens sometimes that this egg breaks during this stage.

After the blossoming, the chicks are still related to the feet of their parents during 30 with 40 days. Time that the plumage and its system of self-regulation are set up, the small one is nourished by regurgitation of food of the parents.

As soon as the small penguin is sufficiently autonomous to only wait, the two parents jointly nourish it intensively for two months. While the parents are at sea, the small ones of the whole of the colony are gathered in crib. Thus, the chances of survival of a chick are larger, because that decreases the incurred risks due to predatory and cold.

The blossomings are spread out at the beginning of January at the end of March. More one chick was born early in the year more it will be large before the winter. Between May and September, the nourrissages of chicks become rare for lack of resources at sea. It can occur several months between two nourrissages. A chick of good constitution can support 4 months and half of fast, however smallest do not survive the winter.

Southern spring, the parents return to nourish the small penguin again. At this time, it moults and will be able to take the sea (11 month after its birth). After that, the parents can finally reconstitute their reserves and moult. Once at sea, the small one will return to reproduce in its turn only when it reaches the age of 3 years.

The cycle of reproduction of the King penguin extending on 16 month, it is impossible for him to reproduce each year. Generally, it reproduces 2 times every 3 years. This cycle is complex. Indeed, of many birds which lay in November (early reproducers) can lose their egg immediately and perhaps lay in February again, becoming thus the same year late reproducers. This fact is added to an absence of synchronism in the phases of the reproduction.

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