About Macaroni Penguins
Macaroni penguins were named by British explorers in the eighteenth century because of their bright yellow feathers, which reminded them of Maccaronism, a style of dress with lots of flamboyance. Today, we know them as the most common penguin in world and recognize their yellow crest in many zoos, aquariums and other settings.
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The Facts
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Macaroni penguins are known in Latin as Eudyptes chrysolophus and are considered a vulnerable species as their conservation status even though there are nine million known breeding pairs in the world. This is most likely because of the threat of global warming and other destruction to their environments. Macaroni penguins are mainly found on several islands scattered throughout the world, including Prince Edward Island in Canada and the South Shetlands in Antarctica.
The Facts
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The Macaroni penguin is smaller than the Rockhopper penguin in size, and weighs on average about 5.5 kg (11 lbs.). They pair and begin breeding at age five for females and six for males. The female will lay two eggs, and the incubation is done in three parts. The first stage is incubated by both, then just the female and finally just the male. After a total of five weeks, the egg will hatch and the male will watch and feed it for the first 24 days.
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The Facts
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After 24 days, the chicks are strong enough to handle the temperatures of their cold climates on their own, and the adult Macaroni penguins can go off to sea to obtain food for the family. This is a good thing, because at this point, chicks can eat up to 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) at one feeding.
The Facts
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At around 11 weeks, the Macaroni penguin fledglings leave their parents, and the adults go to sea for food. Their only natural predators on land are larger prey birds, and at sea are killer whales and sea lions.
Significance
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As of now, Macaroni penguins are not in danger from either man or other animals, making them have a hearty population.
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- Photo Credit The Animal Files
