First king penguin egg in six years laid at Birdland in Cotswolds
The egg was laid by French and her partner Frank
Last updated 23 hours ago
Keepers at Birdland Park & Gardens are celebrating as the Cotswold wildlife attraction welcomes its first king penguin egg in six years.
The egg was laid by French, one of Birdland's younger female king penguins, and her partner Frank, the colony's most experienced breeding male.
French is also the father of the park's famous king penguin chick Spike.
Although the egg is slightly smaller than the average weight at 298g, experts say there is still hope it could be fertile.
To ensure its safety, the egg has been carefully moved to an incubator after keepers discovered Frank had positioned it between his feet rather than balancing it correctly on top.
If successful, this egg could lead to Birdland's first king penguin chick since 2014, which also marked the last successful king penguin hatch in the UK.
King penguins are challenging to breed, with eggs taking between 56 and 60 days to hatch.
Their chicks require up to 16 months of rearing, one of the longest periods for any bird species.
Head of Living Collection Alistair Keen said the arrival of the egg was an exciting milestone for the colony, although there was cautious optimism about the chances of success.
“French has reached breeding age for the first time and Frank has an outstanding track record as a parent, having previously fathered Spike,” he said.
“Frank is actually around eight years older than king penguins would typically live in the wild, so while the odds of fertility are lower, they are certainly not impossible.
“The egg is also a little smaller than we would normally expect, but nature has a habit of surprising us and we're keeping everything crossed.
“Regardless of what happens, seeing this pair produce an egg after six years is wonderful news and an encouraging sign for the future of the colony.”
In the wild, king penguins breed on Southern Ocean islands, and are known for their strong pair bonds and extraordinary commitment to raising their young.
Birdland keepers will now closely monitor the egg over the coming weeks and hope it becomes the next chapter in Birdland's successful history of king penguin conservation.