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Macaroni Penguin
The Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a species of penguin closely related to the Royal Penguin.
The Macaroni Penguin is a black and white penguin with yellow and black plumes on the top of its head. Macaroni Penguins average about 5 kg (11 lbs) in weight and average 50-70 cm (20-28 in) in height. They eat squid, krill and other crustaceans such as fish and squid. Fertile Macaroni Penguins lay two eggs - the first egg laid is ignored by the penguin and usually eaten by ever-present skuas, while the second egg hatches around 34 days after it is laid. Like all penguins, they swim efficiently but cannot fly.
Range
The Macaroni Penguin breeds 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, Prince Edward Islands of South Africa, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and very locally on the Antarctic Peninsula. [*] They collect pebbles to attract mates
Status
Despite its large population, the Macaroni Penguin has been classified as Vulnerable by BirdLife International, as its population has been reduced by at least 30% over three generations. The main threats to its breeding grounds are those common to all Southern Ocean species, such as the existing and potential impact of commercial fishing, ocean warming and oil pollution. [*]
Name
The common name macaroni penguin was given to the species by English explorers, probably due to the bird's conspicuous yellow crest. Maccaronism was a term for a particular style in 18th century England marked by flamboyant or excessive ornamentation. A person who adopted this fashion was labeled a maccaroni or macaroni, as in the song Yankee Doodle. This usage is unrelated to the pasta macaroni. [*]
In Popular Culture
The character Lovelace, voiced by Robin Williams in the film Happy Feet, is a macaroni penguin.
External links
ARKive - images and movies of the macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
70South - more info on the Macaroni penguin
Macaroni penguins page from the International Penguin Conservation Web Site
www.pinguins.info : information about all species of penguins
Penguin World: Macaroni penguin
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Macaroni Penguin
