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Royal Penguin Reproduction. Male royal penguins will return to Macquarie Island for the breeding season in early October. Females arrive on the island about 10 days later to find their mate. Those 10 days allow females additional time for building up their fat reserves to have energy for mating.
Royal penguins (Eudyptes schlegeli) are native to Macquarie Island located in the southwest Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and Antarctica. The island can be found between 60 and 40 degrees south longitude and 140 and 180 degrees east latitude.
Royal penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. During the winter, scientists believe they dart around the Antarctic and South Pacific Oceans. During the breeding season, Royal penguins reconvene on a cluster of three islands — Macquarie, Bishop, and Clerk — between the Antipodes and Antarctica.
Though royals typically lay two eggs, only one usually survives. The egg is kept warm by both parents for around 35 days. This is done by rotating 12-day shifts. After hatching, the male cares for the chick for 2 to 3 weeks, when the female returns with food for both of them.
Royal penguins have a monogamous mating system, where one male mates with only one female throughout its life. They gather into large and dense nesting colonies. The breeding season lasts from September to March.
Royal Penguins gather in huge breeding colonies in October and the female lays two eggs in a shallow hole. Usually the egg that has been laid first is smaller and it is often removed from the nest so it doesn't hatch. The remaining egg is incubated by both parents and after 30 - 35 days it hatches.
Breeding and Nesting. Royal Penguins are monogamous birds, meaning they form long-term pair bonds with a single mate. They typically breed during the austral summer, which occurs from October to February. During this time, they gather in large colonies on the rocky shores of Macquarie Island, where they build nests made of pebbles and feathers.
Adults are preyed upon by fur seals (Arctocephalus), and royal penguins of all ages may be crushed by southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) that cross the penguin-choked beaches. Eggs and chicks are vulnerable to predation by skuas (Catharacta).
Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.roypen1.01
Scientific name: Eudyptes schlegeli. Population: 850,000 breeding pairs. Weight and height: 5.5 kg and 66 cm – 76 cm. Lifespan: 15-20 years. Conservation status: Near Threatened. Population Trend: Stable. Geographic Breeding Range: Australia (Macquarie Island; Bishop Island)