Royal Penguin
Conservation status: Vulnerable |
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| Scientific classification |
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| Binomial name |
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Eudyptes schlegeli
Finsch, 1876 |
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The Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) inhabits the waters surrounding Antarctica. Royals look very much like Macaroni Penguins, but have a black face instead of the Macaronis' white visage. They stand up to 70 cm tall and weigh between 4 and 5 kg. Royal penguins breed only on Macquarie Island and, like other penguins, spend much of their time at sea.
There is some controversy over whether Royal penguins are a sub-species of Macaroni penguins. Individuals of the two groups have been known to interbreed, though this is a relatively rare occurrence. Indeed, other penguins have been known to form mixed-species pairs in the wild.
External link
Australian Antarctic Division: Unusual Penguins (http://www.antdiv.gov.au/default.asp?casid=2404) Contains picture of mixed species pairs and hybrid individual penguins.
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