• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
Although the species has a small range, it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is unknown and hence cannot be assessed under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is considered to be large and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
In 2016, a survey mapping the perimeters of all 54 colonies and applying a nest density estimate was undertaken and estimated 750,037 breeding pairs (669,538–830,154) of E. schlegeli (Salton et al. 2019), converted and rounded here to a best estimate of 1,500,000 (1,340,000-1,660,000) mature individuals.

Trend justification
The population trend is unknown, but thought probably to be stable. There is no evidence of a population decrease, due at least partly to low-resolution historical population estimates. Surveys in the 1980s found 57 breeding colonies varying in size from 75,000 to 160,000 pairs each (Rounsevell & Brothers 1984, Hindell et al. 1995) and with 457 noted on Bishop and Clerk Islands in 1993 (Brothers & Ledingham 2008), totalling c.850,000 pairs or 1.7 million mature individuals (Hindell et al. 1995). These estimates are similar to, but slightly higher than, the numbers counted in 2019 (750,000 breeding pairs). However, a significant difference was not found and these differences are thought to be accounted for by the refined methodology used in 2016 (Salton et al. 2019). Because of the incomparability of censuses, the population trend is precautionarily considered unknown (Salton et al. 2019), although it is probably stable (Woehler et al. 2021).

Royal Penguins breed only on Macquarie Island, Australia, both on the coast and up to 1.5 km inland, and on Bishop and Clerk Islands 37 km to the south (Hindell et al. 1995). When breeding, they forage as far south as the South Polar Front and may go farther during the non-breeding season (Hull et al. 1997, Hull 1999). They have appeared as vagrants in Argentina, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

It nests in huge colonies on bare, level, pebbly, rocky or sandy ground. When breeding, it feeds on euphausiids, fish and squid. The mean depth of assumed feeding events was 47.7 m, and the species can dive to below 100 m (Hull 2000). Its ecology and movements during the winter when away from the island are unknown (Christidis and Boles 1994).

There are currently no plausible existential threats to the Royal Penguin, and the drivers of decreases in Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua and Rockhopper Penguins E. chrysocome do not appear to have affected this species. Past hunting resulted in the death of many penguins but ceased in 1934 when the island was declared a sanctuary and has had no apparent long-term effect. King Penguins Aptenodytes patagonicus, which were even more depleted by hunting on Macquarie Island, show no change in genetic variation (Heupink et al. 2012). Although there is a small-scale demersal longline fishery around Macquarie Island (400 tonnes), the species has never been recorded as bycatch in any fishery (Crawford et al. 2017) and competition with any fishery is unlikely (Trathan et al. 2015). Wekas Galliralus australis, cats Felis catus and black rats Rattus rattus were eliminated in 1988, 2000 and 2012, respectively (Robinson and Copson 2014, Springer 2016) and appear never to have had much effect on the present species's population. Disturbance by visitors to Macquarie Island is likely to be trivial (Holmes et al. 2005) as subantarctic penguins rarely ingest plastic (Kühn et al. 2015) and there have been no major disease outbreaks in the species (Ropert-Coudert et al. 2019). Climate change may bring heat waves, which can affect penguins (Ganendran et al. 2016), but no heat waves have occurred on Macquarie Island yet. Storm surges and geological events could pose a threat (J. McInnes in litt. 2022).

Conservation and Research Actions Underway
Studies of foraging ecology and breeding biology have been completed. Monitoring of breeding population size and success is ongoing, including a planned population survey in 2016/2017. Feral cats were eradicated from Macquarie Island in 2001, and rodents and rabbits were eradicated in 2014 as a result of the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project (Parks and Wildlife Service 2014). Tourists on breeding islands are managed to prevent disturbance.

Conservation and Research Actions Proposed
Continue to monitor the population trend at selected sites. As Royal Penguins breed only at Macquarie Island, biosecurity must be maintained to prevent return of introduced predators, and the marine reserve must be maintained to ensure long-term conservation. Monitor rates and effects of marine debris ingestion. Monitor the effects of fishing. Establish demographic parameters, particularly survival of different age classes. Investigate the basis of genetic differentiation between Macaroni Penguins and Royal Penguins. Study the potential impacts of climate change. Implement a biosecurity plan for Macquarie Island (Parks and Wildlife Service 2014).

65-75 cm. Large, yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin. Black upperparts. White underparts. Pure white to pale grey cheeks from crest to throat. Long yellow, orange and black plumes project from forehead patch back along crown and droop behind eye. Similar spp. E. schlegeli and Macaroni Penguin E. chrysolophus are the only crested penguins with crests that meet on forehead. E. chrysolophus has jet-black to dark grey cheeks and throat, but light-faced birds are also reported at some sites.

Text account compilers
Vine, J., Martin, R., Berryman, A.

Contributors
Alderman, R., Carmichael, N., Copson, G., Gales, R., Garcia Borboroglu , P., Garnett, S., McInnes, J. & Trathan, P. N.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Royal Penguin Eudyptes schlegeli. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/royal-penguin-eudyptes-schlegeli on 25/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 25/11/2024.