The king penguin is a pelagic bird that alternates between marine and terrestrial habitats during its reproductive cycle which lasts about 13-14 months. This cycle includes 3 different periods: the courtship/pairing/mating period (around mid November) which involves mutual mate-choice for a sexual partner, the incubation of the egg for roughly 53-54 days, and then alternated parental care of the chick until the end of the Austal summer (roughly mid- to end of April). Chicks are left mostly to their own devices during winter and gather in large creches for warmth and protection from predators. Parental care is low during this period and resumes again the following year, until the chick fledges in late September-early October. Individuals are constantly confronted with difficult conditions such as the harsh climate, strong predation pressure, the high density of the colony, prolonged fasting periods, and parasitism.

The objective of program 119 is to study the behavioral ecophysiology of the king penguin and its adaptations to social and environmental conditions imposed by the reproductive cycle. Our research is structured around 5 inter-connected axes: