The macaroni penguin is a medium-sized penguin that weighs around 11 pounds and grows to be 20-28 inches in length. The male and female are similar in size and do not have any differing characteristics.

The body of a macaroni penguin is similar to that of other penguins, but it can be distinguished by the orange, yellow, and black tufts of feathers on its head. They have a red bill and deep red eyes, that are contrasted by black feathers on the chin and face.

The macaroni penguin can be found in Antarctica and the neighboring islands, with small populations in Chile and islands south of Africa.

These birds live in water-bound areas that have rocky cliff areas with little soil and vegetation. In the summer when they breed, they will find grassy patches for nesting and egg incubation.

The macaroni penguin is a carnivore, and their diet primarily consists of krill. These penguins will also eat squid, and smaller crustaceans and fish that are found locally. Macaroni penguins will dive up to 300 feet to find prey. Usually these dives range between 50 and 200 feet, and last for no longer than 2 minutes.

The adult mother and father penguin will regurgitate their food to their young so they are able to eat it. This happens when the adult penguin partially digests the food, and then feeds it to the chick for up to the first 4 weeks of its life.

Macaroni penguins are monogamous and form lifelong pairs. During the mating season, they form large colonies with the males establishing territories before the females arrive. The female lays two eggs, one smaller than the other. The smaller one is not incubated, but the larger one is incubated by both parents for 34 days.

After the chick hatches, the male stays and cares for the young for a month, while the females go out and forage for food. After 10 weeks, the young penguin has its adult plumage and can go out and dive in the sea.

While on land, macaroni penguins move around by hopping on rocky cliffs near the ocean.

This species was first discovered in the mid-18th century by English Explorers, and the yellow crest on the penguins head reminded them of “macaroni” coming from the song “Yankee Doodle” sung during the Revolutionary War.