Eudyptes chrysolophus
Silhouette: Alexandre Vong · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. One of eight species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the royal penguin, and some authorities consider the two to be a single species. It bears a distinctive yellow crest on its forehead. Its face and upperparts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts. Adults weigh on average 5.5 kg (12 lb) and are 70 cm (28 in) in length. The male and female are similar in appearance; the male is slightly larger and stronger with a larger bill. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine life.
Its diet consists of a variety of crustaceans, mainly krill, as well as small fish and cephalopods; the species consumes more marine life annually than any other species of seabird. These birds moult once a year, spending about three to four weeks ashore, before returning to the sea. Numbering up to 100,000 individuals, the breeding colonies of the macaroni penguin are among the largest and densest of all penguin species. After spending the summer breeding, penguins disperse into the oceans for six months; a 2009 study found that macaroni penguins from Kerguelen travelled over 10,000 km (6,200 mi) in the central Indian Ocean.
With about 18 million individuals, the macaroni penguin is the most numerous penguin species. Widespread declines in populations have been recorded since the mid-1970s and their conservation status classification is vulnerable.
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 🇬🇸 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | |
| 2 | Falkland Islands | 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | |
| 3 | Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands | 🇦🇶 Antarctica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SeaWorld San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Moody Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Manor Wildlife Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Selwo Marina | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Newport Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Tennessee Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Sea Life Aquarium Kansas City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Macaroni Penguin sighting in Falkland Islands on a given day, based on 215 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 79 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, October and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Macaroni Penguin in Falkland Islands on a given day, against under 5% in September, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Macaroni Penguin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Macaroni Penguin sightings, Falkland Islands ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Macaroni Penguin is recorded against all the birds logged in Falkland Islands (215 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
