Macaroni Penguin

 

Animal Unique | Macaroni Penguin | The Macaroni penguin is a penguin species found in the subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. One of the six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the Royal Penguin, and some authorities consider the two to one single species. They breed on rocky slopes, beaches and in the pollen. Most birds build a nest of small pebbles and scrape some mud or sand, but many couples are happy with their two eggs on the bare rock.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum:     Chordata
Class:     Aves
Order:     Sphenisciformes
Family:     Spheniscidae
Genus:     Eudyptes
Species:     E. chrysolophus

The Macaroni penguin is a large, crested penguins, like other members of the genus Eudyptes. The head, chin, throat and upperparts are black and sharply defined against the white belly. The black plumage has a bluish sheen when new and brownish when old. The most striking feature is the yellow crest that comes from a spot in the middle of the forehead, and extends horizontally backwards to the neck. The flippers are blue-black on the top with a white trailing edge, and especially white underneath with a black tip and leading edge.

The large bulbous bill is orange-brown. The iris is red and there is a patch of bare pink skin from the base of the bill to the eye. The legs and feet are pink. The male and female are similar in appearance, although males are generally slightly larger. The males also carry relatively larger bills. Immature birds are distinguished by their smaller size, smaller bill duller brown, dark chin and throat, and head plumes absent or underdeveloped, often only a scattering of yellow feathers.

Macaroni penguins moult once a year, a process in which they replaced all their old feathers. They spend about two weeks before moulting accumulate fat because they do not feed during moulting, because they can not enter the water to food without springs. The process normally takes three to four weeks, they spend sitting ashore. Once finished, they go back to sea and return to their colonies to mate in spring.

The calls of this species are similar to other crested penguins, birds are especially loud in colonies and territories in determining the pairing, and calm during the incubation. During this period, parents trumpeting calls when changing shifts at the nest, birds recognize each other through voice than on location. A penguin chick call for her or her partner to compete with the sounds of potentially thousands of other birds - a great environment with little noise and visual cues.

Like other species of penguin, the Macaroni penguin is a social animal in the nest and foraging, its colonies are among the largest and most populous of all penguin species. Living in colonies results in a high degree of social interaction between the birds, which led to a large repertoire of visual and vocal displays. These behaviors peak in the early incubation, colonies and especially calming when the male Macaroni penguins at sea.

Macaroni penguins feed on krill during the day and small fish. The Macaroni penguin's predators include birds and mammals. The Leopard Seal, Antarctic Fur Seal Fur Seal and subantarctic penguins sometimes hunt adult Macaroni penguin in the water. Colonies suffered low predation if undisturbed, predators generally only eggs and chicks that are unattended or abandoned. Hunter type, the Snowy Sheathbill, Kelp Gull and prey on eggs, and hunters and Giant Petrels sometimes chickens. Macaroni penguins have experienced declines in population due to predation by terrestrial mammals. Moreover, commercial krill fishing has reduced the external amount of food available for Macaroni penguins and human activity, such as oil and tourism have also endangered the species in some areas.

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