Climate change affects many things negatively; but not king penguins. Most of the time the fishing temperatures from climate change can disrupt the natural timing in nature, especially for animals and plants that rely on each other. However, king penguins seem to be adjusting in a way that improves their breeding success rate. King penguins are a rare species from the sub-Antarctic Islands.

A recent study found that about 19,000 king penguins live on the islands. They additionally found that they are beginning their breeding season 19 days earlier than 26 years ago. This earlier mating has allowed for their breeding success rate to be 40%! 

One reason king penguins are doing so well with the changing climates is because they are very flexible. Many other penguin species are struggling, but the king penguins have a long breeding season that spans from October to March. This allows the species to shift their breeding time more easily in response to the changing nature. They are also able to change where and how they search for food. They are natural foragers. Some of the penguins are going south, some north, and some are staying put. This gives them multiple different ways to get food and survive with ocean conditions changing. 

Even though the penguins are doing great right now because of the fact they are able to be so flexible, some scientists warn that their situation might not always be positive. Climate change is quick, and who knows what the future holds; the ocean could continue to warm, currents could change, food availability could become very scarce. This all could be detrimental to king penguins. It was also pointed out that the winning from this species could mean losing for another, because they could be taking that species’ source of food. 

In conclusion, king penguins give a rare example of a species thriving in a world where many are struggling.