
Adults weigh on average Script error: No such module "convert". It bears a distinctive yellow crest, and the face and upperparts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts. One of six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the royal penguin, and some authorities consider the two to be a single species. The macaroni penguin ( Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. Script error: No such module "Taxonbar/candidate". They begin to travel toward sea after 60 – 70 days.Script error: No such module "InfoboxImage".Ĭatarractes chrysolophus Brandt, 1837
For about 23 – 25 days, the chicks remain with their parents in the nest. During the incubation, females do not eat anything for about 42 days. Both parents contribute toward incubating eggs after an interval of 10 – 12 days. The weight of the first egg is about 90 – 94 g (3.2 – 3.3 oz) and the second egg weighs around 145 – 155 grams (5.1 – 5.5 oz). The females lay 2 eggs in the breeding season. The breeding period ranges from October to November. The females are capable to breed after 5 years while males usually begin after 6 years. The macaroni penguins eggs are taken by Sheathbill, Kelp Gull, Giant Petrels and Skua. Macaroni Penguin Facts about its predators illustrate that few predators are responsible for the macaroni penguin’s death are killer whales, Fur Seal, leopard seal and other aquatic mammals. These birds swallow small stones just to ensure the proper digestion process. They also eat fish, Antarctic krill, and squid, marbled rockcod, painted notie, lanternfish, exoskeletons of crustaceans. These penguin species generally scatter around the ocean for about 6 months after the summer is over. They can form one of the largest breeding colonies comprising more than 100,000 individuals. These kinds of penguins predominantly feed on krill, cephalopods, small fish, and various crustaceans. They are extensively found in South America, Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Kerguelen Islands, Chile, Crozet Islands, Bouvet Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Prince Edward, Orkney Islands, Shetlands, Marion Islands, and Brazil. Macaroni Penguin facts about its habitat show that these birds are by far the most abundant penguin species worldwide in that there are almost 12 million breeding pairs living today. These penguins are highly sociable just like other penguins. Macaroni penguins produce vocals similar to that of the crested penguins and since they are often present in large numbers, the place is too much noisy. This yellow crest begins to appear when the penguins reach at 3 years. The females have shorter bill with a length of 5.4 cm (2.1 inches) as against males bill which is 6.1 cm (2.4 inches) long. The legs and feet are pinkish, and an orange bill coupled with a yellow forehead crest makes them really unique among other penguin species.
The average weight of females is about 3.2 kg (7 lb). The average weight of males after incubating is about 3.3 kg (7 lb) before moulting it goes to 6.4 kg (14 lb), whereas after moulting the weight is 3.7 kg (8 lb). However, the plumages are almost the same.
The females are slightly shorter (with a shorter bill) as compared to males.These species are 70 cm (28 inches) long.The weight of the macaroni penguins is around 5.5 kg (12 lb).