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Macaroni
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Macaroni
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| How did they get their name? | "Macaroni" used to be a hairstyle in England. The Macaroni penguins were so named because the yellow and black feathers sticking out of the side of their heads looked like the English hairstyle. |
| Where do they live? | Antarctic Islands, Southern tip of Africa and South America |
| How long do they live? | Macaroni penguins between 8 and 15 years. |
| What is the height of this penguin? | They are about 30 inches tall. |
| What is the weight of this penguin? | They weigh 12 pounds. |
| What do they look like? | Though similar to their crested cousins, Macaroni penguins are larger and can be distinguished by their yellow-orange tassels which originate in a broad band across the forehead meeting right between their eyes. |
| What do they eat? | Macaronis eat crustaceans (mostly krill), fish and squid. |
| Where do they nest and what are the nests like? | Their nest are shallow scrapes in mud or gravel. |
| What are the predators of this penguin? | Leopard seals, sea lions, and orcas (killer whales) will occasionally take adults at sea, while gulls, skuas, petrels and other shore birds patrol breeding sites for unattended eggs and young. |
| What are some interesting facts about this penguin? | Macaronis usually kick the first-laid egg out of the nest soon after the second egg is laid and only one egg ever hatches; a highly unusual trait for birds but not for penguins. |
