Which penguin is the largest living penguin species?

The emperor penguin is the largest living penguin species.

Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are both the tallest and heaviest penguins alive today. Adults can reach about 1.1 metres in height, with body mass varying substantially through the breeding season as they fast and raise chicks. They live exclusively in Antarctica and are superbly adapted to cold water and sea ice.

Their size helps conserve heat, while dense feathers, a layer of body fat and tightly packed breeding huddles provide additional insulation. They are also the only penguin species that regularly breeds during the Antarctic winter. The female lays one egg, and the male balances it on his feet beneath a warm fold of skin while she travels to sea to feed.

The king penguin is the most common mix-up: it is the second-largest living penguin and has a similarly dramatic orange-and-yellow head pattern. “Largest” here means among living species; several extinct penguins were substantially bigger than modern emperors.