The King Penguin is the second largest of the living Penguin species (the Emperor Penguins being the largest) and stand just under a meter tall. They have big splashes of orange and yellow feathers around their heads and necks, grading into dark grey back or white fronts. They are strictly sub-Antarctic, living on islands near the Antarctic Convergence.

Waiting for the bus
Fortuna Bay, South Georgia

The King Penguins have a dignified waddle as they walk. After countless pleasant hours observing them, I concluded this was because they tend to walk with their wings held close to their body, whereas many of the other penguins will spread their wings for balance.

Resting
Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

The King Penguins also differ from other penguins in lacking a clearly defined breeding season. At any time of the year, King Penguins will be breeding, raising chicks, shedding their adult coats or just standing around. They don't start breeding until they are about 3 years old.

Nagging for food
St Andrews Bay, South Georgia

The King Penguin chicks are startling unlike their adult counterparts, and were mistaken for a seperate penguin species by the first sailors to see them. They also produce a very human-sounding whistle which doesn't disappear until they reach adulthood. Apparently (...) the whistle is as unique as the parents honks (listen to the whistling and honking of a rookery above), and parents and chicks will find eachother (after a few hours of searching) in their large rookeries (see below)

Moulting chick
Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

If their distant cousince, the Adelie win awards for their moulting fur do's, the King Penguin chick moulting would win awards for being the messiest moulter as it exchanges its very thick down coat for the sleek coat of feathers.

Considerate moulters
Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

I found the adult King Penguins to be very thoughtful moulters. Given their large numbers, the adult penguins seemed to congregate in glacial meltwater streams to moult. Thus their feathers would be washed down the stream out into the ocean, where large rafts of King Penguin feathers could be found before being broken up by wind and waves

How this for a rookery?!
St Andrews Bay, South Georgia

There is supposed to be 500,000 breeding pairs in this permanent rookery at St Andrews Bay!