King penguins are the second largest of the penguin species, after the Emperor penguin.
They weigh, on average they, around 15kg (33lb) and are 95cm (3.1ft) tall.
Like many penguins, fully grown but unfledged chicks can appear to be larger than the adult birds.
They were sometimes known as ‘woolly penguins’ by the early explorers and sealers, as the thick brown down of the juveniles looks like wool on sheep.
Some even thought they were a separate species, an impression strengthened by their complex breeding season. This means there are almost always chicks around at all times of the year.
King penguins have colourful feathers around their necks and heads. This makes them the brightest of all the species of penguin.
There is an estimated world population of between two million and breeding pairs and up to 3.2 million breeding pairs.
King penguins live on sub-Antarctic islands dotted around the continent, from about 46° to 55° South, where they form huge colonies on slopes with a nearby beach for access to the sea.
King penguin colonies are occupied all the year round either by the chicks or the adults.
Non-breeding birds may be found far from their home colony, particularly in the region of the Antarctic convergence
Major colonies are found on Crozet, Prince Edward Island, Kerguelen Island, Heard Island, South Georgia and Macquarie Island.
There are significant size differences between the penguins of the different populations living on the different islands and there is evidence of genetic isolation, with little or no interbreeding, between colonies.