From their breeding colonies to their feeding habits, learn everything you need to know about these adorable creatures.
Although rapidly declining, Eudyptes chrysolophus is thought to be the most common penguin species in the world, and it is also one of the most widespread, with huge colonies covering both the South Atlantic and Indian oceans.
How to identify the macaroni penguin
Easy to recognise thanks to a bright orange-yellow streaked with black head-crest that starts at the forehead and flares back over the eyes.
It also has a bluish-black back, tail, head, face and throat and a white front, with an orange-brown beak and some visible skin at the base and pink feet with black soles.
The duller juveniles lack the crest and have a greyish throat and the chicks are brown and white.
How tall is the macaroni penguin?
Approximately 71cm (28in), 3.1–6.6kg (6.8–14.6lb) depending on time of year and gender.
What does the macaroni penguin eat?
Macaroni penguins eat predominantly krill, fish and some squid.
What are its main predators?
The eggs and chicks are predated by skuas, gulls, giant petrels and sheathbills. At sea the adult birds are taken by leopard seals and Antarctic fur seals.
What threaten macaroni penguins?
The primary threats facing Macaroni Penguins are commercial fisheries, climate change, disease, competition for space and prey with fur seals, and also natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, which can wipe out entire colonies.
Macaroni penguin breeding
Macaroni Penguins breed in very large, dense, noisy colonies which can be over 100m (328ft) above sea level. These are usually on rocky terrain, but can also be among tussock grass if it is available. The nest is a shallow depression lined with mud and small stones.
The exact breeding season varies with location, but the two eggs are usually laid in November, 4–5 days apart. The first egg, which is smaller, is usually lost during the five-week incubation, leaving only the second egg to hatch.
The chick is brooded by the male for around three weeks while the female forages and provisions it. Small crèches then form, allowing both parents to forage until the chick fledges at 9–10 weeks.
What’s the macaroni penguin population?
12.6 million mature individuals and rapidly decreasing.
What’s the conservation status of macarnoi penguins?
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List 2020).
Wildlife photographer Ursula Clare Franklin’s new book, Mission Penguin, chronicles her journey to capture all 18 penguin species worldwide, from the Galapagos to Antarctica. Available from 24th October, published by Bloomsbury Wildlife.