Primary 2

Macaroni penguins are one the biggest and heaviest species of penguin as adult macaroni penguins have an average height of about 70cm.

The Macaroni penguin also has a couple of very distinctive features including a long red-coloured beak and a crest of thin bright-yellow feathers on its head.

 

Macaroni Penguin enjoys the cooler climates. They are found along the Antarctic Peninsula, Sub Antarctic regions, South America and the islands around them. They do take part in migrating annually and during that time you will find them in different locations than they would normally reside.

 

They are excellent swimmers. They form very large colonies

 

They hunt in the water and have no trouble catching their prey due to the speed at which they move. Their diet includes small fish, squid, and krill. They also have excellent eyesight to hunt at night.

 

The females generally lay two eggs at a time. The first egg is likely to be very small and so the offspring has a very low chance of survival. The incubation period for the eggs is about 34 days. The pair will take turns keeping the eggs warm during that span of time.