![]() The population of these little ones is estimated to be around 469,760 and stable. These wee fellows are the smallest, usually reaching a height of only 33cm! The feathers tend to have a blue- grey colour, hence the name. Note: Some of the images in this blog are from NZ Birds Online and penguins international They are much larger and have a much longer average length of 70 cm as well as a weight of 5.5 kg. The world population of macaroni penguins is estimated to be around 6 million pairs. I think many of you will be able to relate to this…so let take a closer look at the penguins of the world and where to find them. They all live in the Southern Hemisphere, except for the Galapagos penguin, which can be found all the way up at the equator! The eggs of a macaroni penguin are about the size of a chicken egg, and the female penguins usually lay two of them. ![]() I have fallen in love with these aquatic flightless birds, and hope one day to have been able to see all species in the wild (I have been lucky to see 9 species so far!!). These comical creatures are so curious to watch, whether it is waddling along the beach, going about their daily business, or darting through the water chasing the fish, krill or squid they live off. Several authors have documented declines of 50 to 65 percent in many populations in the last 30 years.Did you know there are 17 - 19 species of penguins in the world? POPULATION TREND: Despite population estimates of more than 11 million birds, macaroni penguins have experienced an estimated decline of at least 30 percent. 5) New Zealands native Yellow-eyed penguins (or Hoiho) are endangered and the population is believed to stand at around just 4000. Macaroni penguins are also threatened by fisheries interactions and oil pollution. THREATS: Rising sea-surface temperatures as a result of global warming are expected to threaten the macaroni penguin's food supply by causing a decrease in prey abundance and driving prey further away from coastal areas and penguin breeding colonies. LIFE CYCLE: Macaroni penguins are thought to live between eight and 15 years in the wild.įEEDING: This penguin feeds mainly on krill, but will also eat other crustaceans, small fish, and squid. Penguins leave their breeding colony by April or May. After hatching, chicks are guarded by the male and fed by the female for up to 25 days and then gather in small crèches until they are ready to go to sea at about 60 to 70 days old. Two eggs are laid in early November and are incubated by both parents in long shifts, hatching in 33 to 37 days. MIGRATION: Macaroni penguins are migratory and are rarely found near land during the non-breeding season.īREEDING: Macaroni penguins usually begin breeding in late October, assembling in huge colonies and nesting on level to steep ground in mud or gravel. While foraging, groups will range north to the islands off Australia, New Zealand, southern Brazil, Tristan da Cunha, and South Africa. 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. RANGE: Macaroni penguins range from the sub-Antarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. HABITAT: Macaroni penguins live in rocky, water-bound areas, on rocks and cliffs above the ocean. This species closely resembles the royal penguin, but has a black chin rather than a white one. While the macaroni penguin is the most numerous penguin species, populations have experienced a decline of at least 50 over. It has black upperparts, white underparts, and distinctive yellow and black plumes on the top of its head. DESCRIPTION: The macaroni penguin averages about 20 to 28 inches in length and about 11 pounds in weight.
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