Although most of the King Penguins, Aptenodytes patagonicus, on the Falkland Islands are found in the breeding colony at Volunteer Point, East Falkland, single birds or very small groups regularly land on other islands. They are normally young birds.
This one on Elephant Beach, Sea Lion Island, stood so still for such a long time that I thought it was a life-size toy placed there as a joke.
And then the penguin started to preen. It’s incredible how still they can stand, on their heels, for a surprisingly long time. They can even sleep standing on their heels with their toes raised off the ground. This is an adaptation to stop their feet from freezing in the Antarctic, which persists even in the balmier climes of the Falkland Islands.
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