Royal Penguin

The Royal Penguin also breeds exclusively on Macquarie Island. It is a crested penguin, similar to the macaroni penguin, but distinguished by its white face and striking yellow-orange crest. Royal Penguins form huge breeding colonies on the island’s beaches during summer, sometimes numbering hundreds of thousands of birds. They feed at sea on krill, fish, and squid. The entire global population depends on the protection of Macquarie Island, making conservation critical.