Macaroni penguin

How it lives

Macaroni penguins nest in some of the largest and densest penguin colonies, up to about 100,000 birds, and one source counts more than 250 colonies. They start to breed in late October and lay in early November. A pair lays two eggs, and the first, smaller egg rarely survives. Chicks fledge after about 60 to 70 days. Females first breed at about 5 years and males at about 6 in one source. Another source says first breeding is not thought to happen until age 6 to 8. At Bird Island, South Georgia, an average of 33 percent of fledglings survived their first year, and 89 percent of older birds survived each year. Estimates of lifespan vary, from 10 to 20 years to more than 20 years.

Where it goes

Foraging trips during breeding are usually 50 to 303 km from the colony in one source, and range from 50 km to more than 2,000 km depending on the breeding stage in another. Birds tracked from Kerguelen travelled more than 10,000 km in the central Indian Ocean in a 2009 study. At Bird Island, birds spend the winter entirely at sea, away from the continental shelf. During feeding trips they can reach as far north as southern Brazil and South Africa.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

IUCN Vulnerable (2020), with a decreasing population. The global breeding population was estimated at 6.3 million pairs in 2013, a large fall from earlier decades. Another source gives about 18 million individuals and says it may still be the most numerous penguin. Declines have been recorded since the mid-1970s, including about 50 percent at South Georgia between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s. The causes are not fully understood. Overfishing, a warming climate and introduced predators may all play a part. Heard Island holds a notable colony.