Aptenodytes patagonicus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	SPHENISCIFORMES	SPHENISCIDAE

Scientific Name:

Aptenodytes patagonicus

Species Authority:

Miller, 1778

Common Name/s:

English	–	King Penguin
French	–	Manchot royal

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2009	–	Least Concern
2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The King Penguin can be found on the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia (Georgias del Sur) off the coast of South America, including the coast of southern Argentina during winter. Colonies are also present on Marion Island and Price Edward Island (South Africa), the Kerguelen Islands and Crozet Island (French Southern Territories), and Macquarie Island (Australia) in the Southern Ocean (del Hoyo et al. 1992).
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Chile; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); French Southern Territories (the); Heard Island and McDonald Islands; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Vagrant: Antarctica; Australia; Brazil; New Zealand; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Africa; Uruguay Present - origin uncertain: Bouvet Island
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Increasing

Population Trend:

Increasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This marine species spends much of its time near breeding areas. It feeds mostly upon fish but will also take cephalopods. It captures prey by means of pursuit-diving, swimming at up to 12 km/h normally no deeper than 50 m. It arrives at colonies to breed between September and November, forming colonies on flattish beaches with no snow or ice which normally have easy access to the sea (del Hoyo et al. 1992)
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This marine species spends much of its time near breeding areas. It feeds mostly upon fish but will also take cephalopods. It captures prey by means of pursuit-diving, swimming at up to 12 km/h normally no deeper than 50 m. It arrives at colonies to breed between September and November, forming colonies on flattish beaches with no snow or ice which normally have easy access to the sea (del Hoyo et al. 1992)

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Bibliography [top]

	del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Fishpool, L. D. C.; Evans, M. I. 2001. Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands: priority sites for conservation. Pisces Publications and BirdLife International, Newbury and Cambridge. IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012). Le Bohec, C.; Durant, J. M.; Gauthier-Clerc, M.; Stenseth, N. C.; Young-Hyang Park; Pradel, R.; Grémillet, D.; Gender, J.-P.; Le Maho, Y. 2008. King Penguin population threatened by Southern Ocean warming. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105(7): 2493-2497.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Fishpool, L. D. C.; Evans, M. I. 2001. Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands: priority sites for conservation. Pisces Publications and BirdLife International, Newbury and Cambridge.

IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012).

Le Bohec, C.; Durant, J. M.; Gauthier-Clerc, M.; Stenseth, N. C.; Young-Hyang Park; Pradel, R.; Grémillet, D.; Gender, J.-P.; Le Maho, Y. 2008. King Penguin population threatened by Southern Ocean warming. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105(7): 2493-2497.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Aptenodytes patagonicus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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