Royal Penguinロイヤルペンギン
Eudyptes schlegeliLC— Least Concern
The royal penguin is a crested penguin endemic to subantarctic Macquarie Island, closely related to the macaroni penguin but distinguished by its white to pale grey face and chin. It feeds mainly on krill and other crustaceans, foraging widely at sea outside the breeding season. Once hunted heavily for oil, the population has recovered since hunting ended and invasive predators were eradicated from the island; it is currently listed as Least Concern, though it is not kept in any Japanese zoo or aquarium.
Royal Penguin (reference photo)
Species Data
- Classification
- Sphenisciformes / Spheniscidae Source
- Size
- Body length about 70 cm
- Weight
- About 6 kg
- Diet
- Piscivore Feeds mainly on crustaceans such as krill and on fish, and occasionally on squid
- Distribution
- Endemic to subantarctic Macquarie Island and the nearby Bishop and Clerk Islets in the Southern Ocean. Source
- Sources
- ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Did You Know?
- Natural hybridization with the closely related macaroni penguin has been recorded, and some researchers treat the royal penguin as a subspecies of the macaroni penguin. Source
- Historically hunted for oil, with 150,000 penguins taken annually between 1870 and 1919; the population recovered after hunting was banned. Source
- Royal penguins lay two eggs but rarely rear chicks from the smaller first egg, showing a strong survival bias toward the larger second-laid B-egg. Source
Distribution and Habitat
How to tell Penguins apart →This species is not currently recorded at a zoo or aquarium in Japan. Its global habitat is covered in the species record.
Conservation Story
Conservation Status
Least Concern (LC)
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FAQ
- How can you tell a royal penguin from a macaroni penguin?
- The royal penguin has a white to pale grey face and chin, while the macaroni penguin's face and chin are black. Source
- Where does the royal penguin breed?
- It breeds only on subantarctic Macquarie Island and the nearby Bishop and Clerk Islets. Source
- Can you see royal penguins in Japan?
- No, the royal penguin is not currently kept in any Japanese zoo or aquarium. Source
- How many operating facilities are registered here?
- Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 0 Source
Books & gear
Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org www.iucnredlist.org