{"id":58910,"title":"King Penguins: Worth the winter trip","description":"An early January visit to Edinburgh Zoo led to our king penguin artwork. Meet the birds, discover their remarkable parenting and explore the designs.","content":"

\"KingImage: King penguins \u2018holding\u2019 flippers at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland.<\/em><\/p>

An early January trip to Edinburgh might not be everyone\u2019s first choice for a penguin encounter. For me, seeing the king penguins was the whole reason for going.<\/strong><\/p>

The birds I photographed at Edinburgh Zoo became the starting point for my king penguin artwork. With their upright stance, long beaks and striking markings, they make rather compelling subjects.<\/p>

Kings, rather than emperors<\/h2>

King penguins are the second-largest penguin species<\/strong>, with only emperor penguins standing taller. The two are easily confused, but kings have particularly vivid orange patches on the sides of their heads and a long, slender bill.<\/p>

In the wild, they breed on islands north of Antarctica, including South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Their colonies occupy snow-free shores: the royal wardrobe doesn\u2019t require an ice palace.<\/p>

Parenthood on their feet<\/h2>

King penguins don\u2019t build nests. Instead, they balance a single egg on their feet beneath a fold of skin, with both parents taking turns to keep it warm.<\/p>

The chicks offer quite a visual surprise. Covered in thick brown down, they look remarkably different from the sleek adults they\u2019ll become. It\u2019s a substantial wardrobe change.<\/p>

\"Close<\/u><\/a>Image: Close up of our King penguins illustration on <\/em>an art print<\/u><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>

A special connection with Edinburgh<\/h2>

Edinburgh Zoo\u2019s large, much-loved Penguins Rock habitat brings king penguins together with gentoo and northern rockhopper penguins.<\/p>

The zoo has a particularly long connection with kings: in<\/strong> 1919, it became the first zoo to breed them successfully<\/strong>. A king penguin even features in its logo.<\/p>

There\u2019s conservation work behind the visitor experience, too. The zoo is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland<\/strong>, a wildlife conservation charity whose work includes conservation genetics and restoring threatened species. Its Saving Wildcats partnership, for example, has released wildcats into the Cairngorms National Park, where released animals have gone on to breed.<\/p>

That wider purpose matters to me. <\/p>

From a January encounter to a favourite design<\/h2>

My king penguin illustrations are based on original wildlife photography<\/strong>, preserving the poses and details that caught my attention in Edinburgh.<\/p>

Even in black and white, that long beak and elegant profile give the bird a distinctive presence. They\u2019re details you can enjoy long after the camera has been put away.<\/p>

Explore the king penguin designs <\/strong>in the shop<\/u><\/strong><\/a> and choose a little everyday grandeur - for yourself or a fellow penguin admirer.<\/strong><\/p>

No January trip required.<\/p>

10% of profits donated to penguin conservation.<\/strong><\/p>

Darren<\/strong>
Founder & Head Penguin<\/em><\/p>

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