The macaroni and royal penguins have very similar appearances, but the royal penguin has a white face instead of the usually black face of the macaroni.
MACARONI PENGUIN SKIN
Both sexes have red eyes and a patch of pinkish bare skin from the base of the bill to the eye. Males usually have a larger bill than females, measuring 6.1 cm (2.4 in) compared to 5.4 cm (2.1 in) in females. Macaroni penguins have a large and bulbous bill that is orange-brown in color. The most prominent feature of the macaroni penguin is the crown of long yellow-orange feathers that originates about 1 cm (0.4 inch) from the top of the bill, extending backwards above each eye to the back of the head. Their flippers are blue-black on the upper surface with a white trailing edge, and mainly white underneath with a black tip and leading edge. Their black feathers can show a bluish sheen when new and brownish when old.
These penguins have a black head, chin, throat and upper part, which contrasts the white under parts. Females are smaller, ranging from 3.2 kg (7 lb) after moult to 5.7 kg (13 lb) before moult. Male macaroni penguins range in weight from 3.3 kg (7 lb) after incubating, or 3.7 kg (8 lb) after moult to 6.4 kg (14 lb) before moult. An adult macaroni penguin has an average length of around 70 cm (28 in), but their weight can vary depending on the time of the year and their sex. Macaroni penguins are large penguins that are similar in appearance to other crested penguins in the genus Eudyptes. DNA analysis indicates that the macaroni penguin split from the royal penguin approximately 1.5 million years ago. The macaroni penguin is often thought to be the same species at the royal penguin, but the two are in fact different. The specific scientific name chrysolophus is derived from the Greek words chryse “golden”, and lophos “crest”. This penguin belongs to the genus Eudyptes, with the name derived from Ancient Greek words eu “good”, and dyptes “diver”. One of eight species of crested penguin, the common name macaroni penguin comes from macaroni fashion, the name for the exaggerated style of dress that appeared in Europe during the late 18th century. The macaroni penguin was first described from the Falkland Islands in 1837 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt. That being said, their numbers have been declining since the mid-1970s and their conservation status is classified as Vulnerable. The macaroni penguin has some of the largest and densest breeding colonies of all penguin species, and with about 18 million individuals (9 million breeding pairs), the macaroni penguin is the most populated penguin species. Their scientific name is Eudyptes chrysolophus. Macaroni penguins are a member of the genus Eudyptes and the order Sphenisciformes. However, they are in fact different species.
Macaroni penguins are often confused with royal penguins, and are often thought of as the same species. Macaroni penguins are most notable for their long yellow-orange feathers on their crest that contrast with the black feathers on their head. It is one of eight species of crested penguin that is found on the Antarctic Peninsula, on a number of Antarctic and subantarctic islands in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and on the islands near the coasts of Chile and Argentina. The Macaroni Penguin is a species of penguin closely related to the Rockhopper Penguin.