Crested penguin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Crested penguin

Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Sphenisciformes
Family:	Spheniscidae
Genus:	Eudyptes

Crested penguins are a group of penguins known for the cool, bright yellow feathers on their heads. They belong to a special group, or genus, called Eudyptes. There are between four and seven different kinds of crested penguins alive today. Sadly, one type from the Chatham Islands might have disappeared in the 1800s.

All crested penguins look quite similar. They have black and white bodies, red beaks, and red eyes. You can find them on islands in the southern parts of the world's oceans, far from the main continents. These islands are called Sub-antarctic islands. When they have babies, they usually lay two eggs. However, they only raise one chick each time. The first egg they lay is much smaller than the second one.

What are Crested Penguins?
- How Crested Penguins Evolved
What Do Crested Penguins Look Like?
Where and How Do They Breed?
Meet the Crested Penguin Species
See also

What are Crested Penguins?

The name Eudyptes was given to these penguins by a French bird expert, Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, in 1816. The name comes from old Greek words: eu means "good," and dyptes means "diver." So, their name basically means "good diver"!

How Crested Penguins Evolved

Scientists have studied the DNA of crested penguins. DNA is like a blueprint that carries information about living things. This research suggests that crested penguins separated from their closest living relative, the yellow-eyed penguin, about 15 million years ago. Then, the different types of crested penguins started to become separate species about 8 million years ago.

A fossil of an ancient bird called Madrynornis

What Do Crested Penguins Look Like?

Crested penguins all share a similar look. They have very clear black and white feathers. Their beaks are red, and they have those cool, bright yellow crests of feathers on their heads.

Their calls are also quite interesting. They make more complex sounds than other penguins, using different lengths of calls to communicate. One type, the Royal penguin, mostly has a white face, while most other crested penguins have black faces.

Where and How Do They Breed?

Crested penguins make their homes and raise their young on Sub-antarctic islands. These are islands located in the southern parts of the world's oceans. You'll find the most different kinds of crested penguins around New Zealand and its nearby islands.

Their ways of finding a partner and raising chicks are more complicated than those of other penguin species. Both the male and female parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. This is called incubating. They also take turns caring for their young chicks.