Krill and fish comprise the bulk of the Royal penguin's diet. Crustaceans and squid are also part of the penguin's diet but only comprise approximately two percent of what they eat. Royal penguins may vary their diet depending on where they are in the breeding cycle and whether their colony is located on the east or west side of Macquarie Island.
Royal penguins breed in October. The male of the species makes a nest or returns to his prior nest site. The nest may be a depression in sand or grass rimmed with stones and grass. The female returns one week afterward. The pair produce two eggs and kick one egg out of the nest before hatching. Royal penguin eggs incubate for 30 to 35 days before hatching. Both parents take turns incubating the chosen egg.
Chicks are raised by both parents. The father guards the chick for 10 to 30 days while the mother hunts for food and feeds the chick on a daily basis. After this time period, the chick is sent to a creche, or penguin nursery, where he is reared collectively with other chicks in the colony. The parents alternate feeding the chick every two to three days. In February, the chicks leave the nest with their parents to return to the sea to fatten up.
The Royal penguin is considered vulnerable to extinction because it breeds in just one location. In 2008, there were roughly 500,000 to 850,000 pairs of Royal penguins. Although healthy in numbers, a single natural or human-related catastrophe could decimate their population.
