Royal Penguin

## Description

The royal penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli ) is a species of penguin, which can be found on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and adjacent islands. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the royal penguin as near threatened. The scientific name commemorates the German zoologist Hermann Schlegel.

## Appearance

The largest species of crested penguin, these birds can be distinguished from other species of the genus by having a white face (though some individuals exhibit pale grey or dark grey coloration on their face). Males and females look similar, though females are smaller than males. Their close relatives are Macaroni penguins, these two having the same large, orange-colored beak with prominent pink skin on its base. In addition, these two species share the same sloppy, orange-yellow head crests. The crests on their head join on the forehead instead of running separately, as common in other crested penguins. The rest of the upper parts are colored blue-black while the underparts are silky white. Immature penguins are identified by darker beaks, smaller head crest, and by chrome yellow feathers on their forehead. In addition, immature individuals are usually less sturdy. On the other hand, juveniles are distinguished from adults by shorter crests as well as greyer chin and throat. The first down feathers of chicks are dark greyish-brown, being darker on the head and white on the underparts; the second down feathers are blacker on the upper parts.

## Distribution

Royal penguins inhabit the waters surrounding Antarctica. During the breeding season, they come ashore on Macquarie Island, which is located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, approximately halfway from Antarctica to New Zealand. Here they occur among small shrubs, rocks, and tussock grass, breeding on beaches and grassy slopes, found about 1 - 6 km from the sea coast.

## Behavior

Royal penguins are highly social animals, gathering into large colonies. They are even able to distinguish the call of their mate and chicks, which allows them to find each other while living in these large colonies. When on land, the birds spend a lot of time together. During confrontations, these penguins can attack the opponent from behind. Aggressive behavior also includes hissing noises, lunging toward the opponent as well as biting and gripping it at the neck. However, these confrontations usually don't lead to injuries. When foraging, Royal penguins are able to dive deep, though usually, it's not necessary, since the suitable prey items can be easily found at shallow depths. Royal penguins typically feed in the mornings and evenings. In the middle of March, at the end of each breeding season, Royal penguins undergo molting.

## Diet

Royal penguins are carnivores (piscivores).Their diet mainly consists of krill and crustaceans, supplemented with amphipods, cephalopods, and certain species of fish.

## Reproduction

Royal penguins have a monogamous mating system, where one male mates with only one female throughout its life. They gather into large and dense nesting colonies. The breeding season lasts from September to March. Usually, by the end of September, males arrive to prepare their nesting territories. Then, in October, females arrive, laying 2 eggs in a shallow hole. Normally, only one egg is incubated by both parents for about 30-35 days. During the first 3-4 weeks after hatching, the male remains with the chick, whereas the female forages, providing its offspring and mate with food. Growing up, the hatchling joins a crèche of other chicks, while both parents forage to feed the young. Royal penguins attain their adult plumage within 65 days after hatching, after which they go out to sea. They first breed at 5 years old.

## Population

### Population threats

Royal penguins are exposed to disease outbreaks throughout the area of their range. However, climate change remains the main threat to these animals’ populations: changes in sea-surface temperature are able to sharply reduce the number of prey items, leading to food shortages.

### Population number

Presently, there are about 850,000 breeding pairs, found on Macquarie Island. The population of these birds is stable though the species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.

## Fun Facts for Kids

The scientific name of this species is "Eudyptes schlegeli" as a commemoration of German zoologist Herman Schlegel.

When foraging, these penguins are able to dive at a depth of 100 meters, though normally - not more than 60 meters. Meanwhile, they dive 10-11 times per hour, every time remaining submerged for about 1.5 minutes.

When gathering into colonies, these birds are extremely noisy, communicating with each other by vocalizations and visual signals. One of the most frequently heard calls is the contact call. Mates usually associate through display calls. During confrontations, the birds give out threat calls.

Royal penguins typically swim at the water surface, with wavy movements at regular intervals. This technique is called “porpoising”. They also use “surface swimming” and “underwater flying”.

When on land, they walk with outstretched flippers in order to keep balance.