#MACARONI PENGUIN SKIN#

Prey is captured by diving to depths of 50–200 feet. Macaroni penguins feed mainly on krill, but will occasionally eat other small crustaceans, fish and squid. When not breeding or molting they live on the open ocean. These sites are often easily spotted-the areas have been denuded by penguins pulling grass out of the tussock, as well as by the effects of over-fertilization from the nitrogen in their droppings. On some sub-Antarctic islands their nest sites can be on steep, high mountains below towering glaciers. Macaroni penguins breed among rocky slopes and outcrops, along beaches, and among dense grassy tussocks in very noisy colonies. Macaroni penguins at Royal Bay, South Georgia

During the non-breeding/molting season, it is rare to see a macaroni penguin on land. A 2009 study found that macaroni penguins from Kerguelen travelled over 6,000 miles (10,000km) in the central Indian Ocean. At sea they are sometimes seen off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina. When not breeding or molting the penguins are pelagic, living on the open ocean and migrating long distances in the winter (April–September). The largest breeding populations are found on the islands of South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard and McDonald. Macaroni penguins are seen on TravelWild cruises on the sub–Antarctic Islands and, occasionally, on the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula and its adjacent islands. Distribution and Migration of Macaroni Penguins

In the field they can be confused with rockhopper and royal penguins, although the home range of royal penguins rarely overlaps the range of macaronis. Juvenile plumage is duller, the bill is dark and the crest is usually not developed. Both males and females sport their signature golden-orange crests, which extend from the forehead and sweep backward above each eye.

#MACARONI PENGUIN SKIN#

The bill is bulbous and orange-brown, the eyes red, and a patch of pinkish bare skin extends from the base of the bill to the eye. Like most penguins they are a predominantly black and white bird the head and upperparts are black and the underparts are white. The male is slightly larger than the female. Their weight fluctuates greatly due to fasting while breeding and molting. Macaroni penguins are one of the largest crested penguins (the closely-related royal penguin is slightly larger) with an average length of 28 inches (70cm) and an average weight of 12 pounds (5.5kg). Identifying Macaroni Penguins-Physical Characteristics While the breeding numbers of the species are still relatively high, researchers have noticed an alarming decline in the population, possibly due to climate change and its effect on penguin food supplies. Researchers estimate that upwards of 11 million breeding pairs of macaroni penguins populate the Southern Ocean. Mid-18th century British explorers were reminded of an outlandish clothing fashion trend of their day called 'maccaroni.' 'Macaroni' was also incorporated into the famous American Revolutionary War tune, 'Yankee Doodle'-who 'stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni.' The phrase was co-opted from a British military tune used to mock the disheveled, disorganized and 'naïve' 'Yankees' with whom the British served in the French and Indian War. The most numerous of all the world’s penguins, the macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) was named for the flamboyant plumage of its golden-orange forehead crest.