Macaroni penguins resemble Rockhopper penguins but they are larger birds, length: 69-76 cm (27-30 inches) the yellow plumes meet and begin on the forehead to sweep back and out over the eyes. The bill is heavier and darker orange-brown.

Diet is krill and small fish caught by pursuit diving. Most numerous of all penguins, the Macaroni breeds in the southern South Atlantic where it favours the cooler sub- Antarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula . There are huge colonies on South Georgia and other islands of the Scotia Arc. It also breeds on islands off Cape Horn and to 50°S on islands off Chile. A few pairs breed on the Falkland Islands.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Macaroni penguins as 'Vulnerable'.

Sources include: Falkland Islands State of the Environment Report 2008 Otley H, Munro G, Clausen A, Ingham B. A Field Guide to the Wildlife of The Falkland Islands and South Georgia - Ian J Strange, Guide to Birds of the Falkland Islands- Robin W. Woods.

Photographic credits: Tracy Evans, Biffo Tuson

Photographs and Images Copyright: The images on this site have been bought under licence or have been used with the permission of their owners. They may not be copied or downloaded in any form without their owner's consent.