The king penguin is the second-largest living penguin species, after the emperor penguin.
King penguins stand roughly 70–100 centimetres tall and are notably slimmer than emperors. They have vivid orange patches at the sides of the neck, a long dark bill, and silver-grey upperparts in adults. Their appearance makes them one of the most recognizable penguins.
Unlike emperor penguins, king penguins breed on subantarctic islands rather than on the Antarctic continent. Their colonies include South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and several islands in the southern Indian Ocean.
King penguins raise one chick at a time. The chick’s development is unusually long: it can take around a year before it becomes independent. This extended cycle means adults generally breed only every two years.