Royal Penguin Profile
The Emperor’s New Clothes tells the tale of human ego and foolishness shattered by the honesty of a child’s mind when the proud leader is informed by a kid that he actually looks ridiculous. And, on a bunch of small, cold islands, somewhere between New Zealand and Antarctica, you can’t help but wonder if Royal penguins need a similar reminder.
These derpy little seabirds have adorned their heads with a crown of greasy, bright yellow feathers which makes them look more punky than blue-blooded, but they are nonetheless cute and interesting animals.
Royal Penguin Facts Overview
| Habitat: | Cold coastal waters |
| Location: | From Antarctica to Australia, native to Macquarie Island |
| Lifespan: | Up to 20 years |
| Size: | About 75 cm (30 inches) long |
| Weight: | Roughly 6 kg (13 lb) |
| Colour: | White on the front, black on the back, bushy yellow eyebrows |
| Diet: | Mostly crustaceans, then fish, squid |
| Predators: | Rats, skuas, elephant seals, wekas, humans |
| Top Speed: | Possibly up to 30 km/h (20 mph) |
| No. of Species: | 1 |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern (IUCN) |
Royal Penguins are a lot like large Macaroni penguins that take themselves more seriously. But in their defence, they have a long history of struggle and have come through very well, so they have a lot to be proud of.
These large, crested, and oily penguins are now heavily protected and appear to be thriving in their island sanctuary, though there’s a lot left to learn about what they do when they’re not on land, breeding.
Interesting Royal Penguin Facts
1. They’re more like Macaroni
There is a very similar species of penguin with a far more self-aware name and a much greater range, some of which overlap with the Royal penguins.
Macaroni penguins look remarkably similar to the slightly more fanciful Royals, and for good reason: they appear to have branched off fairly recently in evolutionary scales.
It’s thought that Macaroni and Royal penguins shared a common ancestor around 1.2 million years ago, and the two species can and do produce fertile offspring on occasion, though this is rare. These two species are almost certainly the closest relatives of one another.
2. They are oily
When most of the world’s oil came from animal fat, hunters were pushed into colder and colder regions in search of it.
Fur seals provided skin and blubber, but as these started to run out, elephant seals were targeted. Soon, elephant seals were thin on the ground, and the penguin populations began to look uneasy and wish they’d done something about this sooner.
Macquarie Island’s population of 3 million penguins was the next target of the oil industry, and since penguins are pretty rubbish on land, they’re quite a lot easier to catch.
Each penguin produced about half a litre of oil and by 1905 they were processed 2000 at a time. Licences for 150,000 penguins were issued by the government of Tasmania each year.
3. But they’re now well-protected
Fortunately, this didn’t last forever, and by 1934 the island was declared a sanctuary.
The rampant destruction seems to have been cut short enough that it hasn’t had any lasting effect on the genetics of the species and they appear to be doing quite well now.
Of course, it did put a significant dent in the number of penguins and this will take quite some time to recover from, but as of 2022, it’s estimated that there are now around 1.5 million mature individuals on the island.
Even King penguins, from the same island who were far more depleted, seem to have been unaffected genetically by the mass slaughter, so the prognosis looks good for Royal penguins at the moment.
4. They’re fighters
So, these are tough birds, and you see it in their interpersonal behaviours. Males will find and establish a nest site, and then they will defend it with a combination of weird penguin dances and physical confrontation.
Once the site has been claimed, the male will swing his head back and forth to make sure everyone knows it’s his. This is the first line of defence, but it’s not all he has in his arsenal.
If someone is eyeing his spot, he’ll use the goose method and lean forward hissing at the perceived threat. If this isn’t heeded and the threat gets too close, energetic flapping will ensue as a final warning which will be followed by an attack if all warnings are ignored.
These are quite vocal birds, and they have to be. In huge colonies, screaming at the top of your lungs is the only way to find your kids. During an attack, they’ll emit a war cry, and between fights, they communicate with braying like a donkey. 1
5. They nest in huge colonies
This species has adapted to being in crowded environments. All the braying and shouting and fighting are a product of the immense colonies they form.
These are built on bare, flat, rocky or sandy ground and adults will take turns with the young and going out to hunt.
Hunting involves dives of up to 100m deep, but more commonly happens at half that depth. And there are multiple species on the island, each looking for a nesting and feeding location for their colony.
Despite this, the penguin society on the island is pretty diplomatic. 2
6. They avoid competition
It’s still a lot less energy-intensive to avoid a fight altogether if you can, and this penguin will divvy up hunting grounds in the water between themselves and neighbouring colonies. Each will have its own territory and will exploit more or less the same resource, just in a different location.
They’ll also split up between their species and the others, and in doing so will all but escape any issues of competition.
Separate species will also focus on different resources, which further aids in this process. Royal penguins will take the lanternfish, while rockhoppers will happily make do with krill. 3
Royal Penguin Fact-File Summary
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Spheniciformes |
| Family: | Sphenicidae |
| Genus: | Eudyptes |
| Species: | E. Schlegeli |
Fact Sources & References
- Kirsty de Wit, “Eudyptes schlegeli royal penguin”, Animal Diversity Web.
- “Royal Penguin”, IUCN Red List.
- C. L. Hull (2006), “Comparison of the diets of breeding royal (Eudyptes schlegeli) and rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome) penguins on Macquarie Island over three years”, Zoological Society of London.