![macaroni penguin macaroni penguin](https://global.hurtigruten.com/globalassets/photos/destinations/antarctica/wildlife/penguins/macaroni-penguin_dominic-barrington.jpg)
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Most of the time though they only dive a short distance into the water to get their food supplies. When necessary, they are able to dive deep into the water to find food. Since they spend so much time in the water, there is little known about their behaviors outside of mating and molting when they are visible on land for extended periods of time. While they don’t have very good vision on land, they are able to see exceptionally well in the water. It can be very noisy but the process is one that the Macaroni Penguins seem to thrive with. There are sub colonies and groups found within the larger entity.
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They offer some of the largest colonies though. Like other species of penguins, they are very social. Macaroni Penguins were named by early English explorers due to the yellow crest of feathers on their head which resembled the feathers worn in the hats of young 18th century men called "macaronis".Other than mating, molting, and preening, this particular species of penguin will spend almost all of its time in the water. The character named Lovelace in the film Happy Feet is a Macaroni Penguin. Macaroni Penguins are the largest of the 6 species of crested penguins. The current population of Macaroni Penguins is approximately 12 million pairs. Macaroni Penguins are members of the crested penguin group which also includes the: There are no subspecies of the Macaroni Penguin. Eggs and chicks are preyed upon by skuas, gulls, petrels and other shore birds. Predators of Macaroni Penguins include leopard seals, sea lions and killer whales.
#MACARONI PENGUIN FULL#
When the chick reaches 10 weeks old it will have gained its full adult plumage and is ready to go to sea. This enables both parents to hunt for food to satisfy the chick's growing appetite. When the chicks are large enough they join a nursery group with other chicks, which is known as a creche. The chick is looked after by the male for the first 3 - 4 weeks while the female brings food for them both. The egg is incubated by both parents and after approximately 34 days it hatches. Females lay 2 eggs in a shallow scrape in the ground but usually only the second, larger egg is incubated. They sometimes feed during the night but they only dive up to 6 m (20 ft) in depth during night time forages.ĭuring the summer months Macaroni Penguins breed in huge, tightly packed colonies. These dives rarely last longer than 2 minutes and mainly occur during the day. They capture their prey on pursuit dives at depths of 15 - 60 m (50 - 200 ft) although they can dive to 90 m (300 ft) if required. Macaroni Penguins feed on krill, fish and squid. Macaroni Penguins are found in the Antarctic region and they breed on many islands including South Georgia, Crozet, Macdonald, Keuguelen and Heard. Macaroni Penguins are noisy, aggressive birds and they emit raucous braying sounds when on land and short barks at sea. Their beak is red/brown in colour and they have a yellow, orange and black crest on their head. They have a black face, chin and back and they are coloured white on their front. They reach heights up to 71 cms (28 inches) and they weigh between 3.5 and 6.5 kgs (7.75 - 14 lbs). They are very similar to royal penguins and the two are often confused. Macaroni Penguins are the most numerous species of penguin. Location S Chilie, S Atlantic & S Indian Ocean Macaroni Penguin Range Map (S Chile, S Atlantic & S Indian Oceans)