Numbering up to 100,000 individuals, the breeding colonies of the macaroni penguin are among the largest and densest of all penguin species.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyPenguins
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
Habitatshrubland, closed forest, open woodland, waterbodies, and sparse woodland
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Kevin Guille
Range map
Range map
31approx hotspots
24628approx records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Breeds in noisy colonies on rocky islands, across a wide area of the Subantarctic and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Behavior
Breeds in noisy colonies on rocky islands, across a wide area of the Subantarctic and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Gallery
Regional timing
Tasmania
Victoria
Commonly confused with
Royal PenguinEudyptes schlegeliNote bright yellow, orange, and black plumes. Easily distinguished from Macaroni Penguin by whitish face, and from Chinstrap Penguin by crests.→Eastern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes filholiEastern Rockhopper breeds on various subantarctic islands around New Zealand and in the southern Indian Ocean. Most often seen at breeding colonies, but singles or small groups can sometimes be found in the open ocean far from land. Compare with Erect-crested Penguin in the New Zealand subantarctic; note Eastern Rockhopper’s smaller size, smaller bill, and thinner yellow eyebrow. Compare with larger Macaroni Penguin in the Indian Ocean, which has a larger bill and deeper golden head plumes. Typically no range overlap with Northern or Western Rockhopper, but vagrants are possible anywhere in the Southern Ocean; note details of bill pattern and crest shape.→