Macaroni Penguin

Description

An adult bird has an average length of around 28 in. Their weight varies depending on time of year and sex. Males average from 7 lb, while females average 7 lb. Their hick bill measures 2.8 to 3.1 in. The wing, from the shoulder to the tip, is around 8.0 in and the tail is 3.5–3.9 in. long. The most striking feature is the yellow crest that arises from a patch on the center of the forehead, and extends backwards to the nape. The flippers are blueish black on the upper surface with a white trailing edge, and mainly white underneath. Their short legs and wide feet are pink. The male and female are similar in appearance but males tend to be slightly larger. Males also bear relatively larger bills, which average around 2.4 in compared to 2.1 in. in females, and this feature has been used to tell the sexes apart.

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia – Animal, animaux, animals

Phylum

Chordata – cordés, cordado, chordates

Class

Aves – Birds, oiseaux

Order

Sphenisciformes – Penguins, pingouins

Family

Spheniscidae Bonaparte, 1831 – Penguins

Genus

Eudyptes Vieillot, 1816 – Crested Penguins

Species

Eudyptes chrysolophus (Brandt, 1837) – Macaroni Penguin

Evolution

Subspecies include: Erect-Crested Penguin, Fiordland Penguin, Rockhopper Penguin, Royal Penguin, Snare Penguin, and Macaroni Penguin.

The macaroni penguin was described from the Falkland Islands in 1837 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt. It is one of six or so species in the genus Eudyptes, collectively known as crested penguins.
Their closest living relative is the Rockhopper Penguin

Habitat

Macaroni penguins live in rocky, water-bound areas, on rocks and cliffs above the ocean. Macaroni penguins usually live on bumpy or flat ground. They don't really live in places with many plants, but some penguins make their nests around grass. Macaroni penguins generally live by the water because they eat seafood. With their wide spread the temperature can range. In some areas close to the arctic peninsula the temperature can exceed +10°C in summer and fall to below −40°C in winter. Most other animals Macaroni Penguins will encounter will be in the water. The most common being the leopard seal, Antarctic fur seal, Subantarctic fur seal, and killer whale, all of which prey on the macaroni penguin in the water.

distribution

Macaroni penguins range from the sub-Antarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. They breed in at least 216 colonies at 50 sites, including southern Chile, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich islands, the South Orkney and South Shetland Islands, Bouvet Island, the Prince Edward and Marion islands, the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, the Heard and McDonald Islands, and very locally on the Antarctic Peninsula. While foraging, groups will range north to the islands off Australia, New Zealand, southern Brazil, Tristan da Cunha, and South Africa. In all of these countries they are not considered invasive.

diet

Macaroni Penguins feed mainly on krill, but they will also eat other crustaceans, small fish, and squid.
Macaroni penguins spend six months at sea while foraging for food. Like other penguins, they swallow small stones to use for ballast and to help grind up the shells of the small crustaceans they catch. During the mating season, krill becomes an important source of food for penguins and babies.
Annually, Macaroni Penguins consume more marine animals than any other species of seabird. During breeding season, krill constitute almost 90% of their food.

Social structure & reproduction

Macaroni penguins live in groups called colonies. Some colonies contain more than 100,000 penguins. Living in large groups is another way these birds are protected from predators.
Huge colonies made up with male and females that neither male nor female take on the leading position but instead they work together as one organism to survive.
Macaroni penguins usually begin breeding in late October, assembling in huge colonies, males usually gather first to establish territory, nesting on level to steep ground in mud or gravel. Two eggs are laid in early November and are incubated by both parents in long shifts, hatching in 33 to 37 days.
During breeding season, the birds find a mate, usually for life, aka soulmates. They typically build a rock-lined nest, sometimes also using grass. The pair lays one small egg, which almost never successfully hatches. Then they lay a large egg, which is the one that they incubate together in shifts. While one parent is keeping the egg warm, the other parent goes out to sea to hunt for food.

Development

For the first three to four weeks of life, the chick is protected by its father, while its mother forages for and delivers food to the nest. During the next phase of the chick’s life, both parents leave the nest to forage in the sea, and the chick joins a group with other members of its colony for protection from predators and the cold. The chick periodically visits the home nest for nourishment.Young leave the nest to forage on their own and become fully independent about 11 weeks after they hatch. Female macaroni penguins become sexually mature at age five, whereas most males wait until age six to breed.

cause of death

Adult macaroni penguins are preyed upon by fur seals, leopard seals, and killer whales at sea. On land, eggs and chicks may become food for predator birds. Including skuas, giant petrels, sheathbills, and gulls.
Male macaroni penguins can display aggressive behavior toward other males, usually during mating season, sometimes locking beaks and slap-fighting with their flippers. To keep things calm, macaroni penguins ease through their colonies with their heads tucked down toward their chests.
There are no very deadly diseases that the Macaroni Penguin faces. But some have been found to have Campylobacter, which is a bacteria that can cause diarrhea in people and animals, and which can also be found in the intestinal tracts of a wide variety of animal species, even when they’re healthy.

COMPETITION

Macaroni penguins are social animals that live in large colonies. This does not mean that they always get along. Just like humans, they get on each other's nerves, push for space, and compete for limited resources. Macaroni penguins that live close to one another are most likely to resort to aggressive behavior. During mating season there are enough males and females to all have a mate but there could be one left out and they usually don't survive. They also just stick together as one colony so they don't need to compete with other species. Some invasive species do affect these penguins though. Invasive species that eat too much or kill off the macaroni penguins food affects how much those penguins can eat and support their chicks, as well as krill fisherman who take away too much food.

IUCN Rating

The macaroni penguins population has been declining and they are considered a vulnerable species.
The global population is estimated at 6.3 million breeding pairs in at least 258 colonies at 55 breeding sites.Their population has decreased 47% over 37 years. Macaroni Penguins have a steady trend of a declining population, and the number of mature penguins is decreasing.

Impact of humans

Commercial krill fishing has reduced the amount of food available for Macaroni penguins and human activity such as oil spills and tourism have also jeopardized this species in some areas. Climate change has most dramatically reduced the macaroni penguins food source. Macaroni penguins feed mostly on krill. As juveniles, these shrimp-like crustaceans feed on algae that grow underneath sea ice. As ocean temperatures warm and sea ice disappears, krill numbers plummet. The main problem these macaroni penguins are facing and will continue to face in the future is a food shortage due to overfishing and global warming.
The macaroni penguin was described from the Falkland Islands in 1837 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt, and named the infamous macaroni penguin and was related to the Eudyptes.
Creation of marine reserves to protect macaroni penguin food sources and foraging areas. Precautionary management of the Antarctic krill fishery. Appropriate management of tourism activities to prevent harm to penguin foraging and nesting areas. There are also many new ways to prevent global warming and slow down the effects it has on macaroni penguins and the rest of the world.

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