Description: It reaches 90-95 cm in height and can weigh up to approximately 15 kg. Adults are characterized by having a bluish-gray back and a whitish belly; the head is black and features a bright orange ear patch with well-defined black edges, which continues through a thin line toward the chest; the beak is long, slightly curved, with a pinkish-orange spot at the base of the jaw; the tarsi are naked. Males and females have the same coloration; females are usually smaller in size. Juveniles have a gray-streaked crown, a light pink base of the jaw, and the ear patch is pale yellow. Chicks have their bodies covered with brown down.

Subspecies: Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus nests in the islands of the South Atlantic; Aptenodytes patagonicus halli nests in the islands of the southern Indian and Pacific Oceans. They mainly differ in beak and flipper size, which are slightly larger in A. p. halli.

Possible Confusions: The only similar species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), but it differs by being larger in size (approximately 120 cm in height and 46 kg in weight); adults have a larger orange-yellow ear patch that expands into a pale yellow toward the chest; the beak is shorter and more curved, and the pinkish-orange spot on the jaw is less expanded; the tarsi are sparsely feathered.

Geographical Distribution: Circumpolar, in subantarctic regions between 45° and 55° S.

Habitat: Marine and pelagic. Nesting areas are located near the sea, on snow-free beaches, sometimes in areas with Tussock grasslands.

Behavior: It is the most pelagic of the penguins. Foraging trips are longer during the winter.

Diet: Mainly fish; they also include, to a lesser extent, cephalopods and crustaceans. Prey is captured by pursuit during diving.

Reproduction: They arrive at the colony between September-November. They do not build nests. They lay one egg, which is incubated by both sexes on the feet and covered by a fold of the abdomen. The egg hatches between November-March. Chicks emerge with pale gray to brown down, which they later molt into dark brown down, which they keep until the molt into juvenile plumage. About 40 days after hatching, the chicks group together in nurseries; they become independent at 10-13 months. Individuals reach sexual maturity at 5-7 years of age.

Threats and Conservation Status: Although populations are affected by climate change, diseases, human disturbances, or exotic animals, these threats are not significant to their population decline. Therefore, the species is classified as "Least Concern" by BirdLife International (2020).

Author of this Compilation: María Alejandra Sosa - 30/05/2021

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