Do you want to learn about macaroni penguin facts for kids? The macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a close relative of royal penguins. They are one of the crested penguins that are found in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Macaroni Penguin Facts
Description: Adult penguins stand 70 cm tall and weigh 12 pounds. There seems to be no real difference in the male and a female as both are of same sizes. However males have comparatively stronger bill.
Macaroni penguins have 9 – 10 cm long tails. The measurement of the penguin’s wings is 20.4 cm.
Range: Macaroni penguins breed in southern Chile, South Georgia, South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Marion Islands, South Sandwich Islands, Kerguelen Islands, and McDonald Islands. These Islands touches the territories of New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia.
Habitat: They will make habitats in places where tussock grass, rocks, pebbles, and stones are enough to cover the penguin’s nest. However they do not prefer vegetation-rich habitats.
Macaroni Penguin Diet: Macaroni penguins eat Antarctic krill, fish, marbled rockcod, painted notie, lanternfish, squid, and crustaceans. They will remain active from dawn to dusk.
Behavior: They will also travel 31 miles offshore. Macaroni penguins dive 49 – 230 feet deep in order to eat fish. They dive in V-shaped. However macaroni penguins come to the surface to breathe every 2 minutes.
Reproduction: Macaroni penguins reach the maturity at 5 years age. Females mature earlier than males.
Lifespan: They have an average lifespan of 15 – 20 years in the wild.
Predators: Predators of macaroni penguins are Subantarctic fur seal, leopard seal, killer whale, Antarctic fur seal, giant petrels, kelp gull, and snowy sheathbill.
Population: Macaroni penguins have one of the biggest populations. There are 18 million breeding pairs of macaroni penguins in the world. The highest population occurs in South Georgia where 3 million breeding pairs live.
