Listen to the King penguin
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the King penguin
The King penguin is a bird in the family Spheniscidae (order Sphenisciformes). Wikidata describes it as “second largest species of penguin”. Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 11.5 kg.
What does the King penguin sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
From Wikipedia
The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin, smaller than but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin.
King penguins mainly eat lanternfish, squid, and krill. On foraging trips, king penguins repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (300 ft), and have been recorded at depths greater than 300 metres (1,000 ft). Predators of the king penguin include giant petrels, skuas, the snowy sheathbill, the leopard seal, and the orca.
More from the family Spheniscidae
Frequently asked questions
What does a King penguin sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the King penguin on this page. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the King penguin endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the King penguin as “least concern”.
What family does the King penguin belong to?
The King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) belongs to the family Spheniscidae in the order Sphenisciformes.
Sources & credits
- King Penguin Rookery Audio by Hullwarren – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q182209 – CC0
- Wikipedia: King penguin – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Liam Quinn from Canada – CC BY-SA 2.0