The yellow crest makes the Macaroni Penguin easy to notice. It breeds on sub-Antarctic islands and elsewhere nearby, and feeds on krill and fish at sea.
A yellow crest extends back from each side of the head. The back is black, while the underside is white.
At sea it eats mainly Antarctic krill, along with other crustaceans and fish. The length of its foraging trips changes with its breeding stage.
They lay two eggs in a breeding season. The second egg is larger and is usually the only one to hatch. Chicks fledge about 60–70 days after hatching.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.