I have been hearing quite a few of our visitors saying that the Macaroni penguins look “grumpy” or “scruffy” over the last couple of weeks. As Living Coasts Spokespenguin I feel I should explain. (Click title to read link)

After the breeding season is over, its time for the Macaroni penguins to go through their annual moult. This is not a very nice thing for a penguin, but it is essential that we do it every year to keep our feathers in good condition. Our feathers keep us warm and dry when we swim, without this waterproofing we could become ill.

I like to hide in my burrow while I moult as I don’t like everyone seeing me without my beautiful feathers. Since the Macaroni penguins do not have burrows, some of them hide in bushes, while others just sit on the rocks in their enclosure for the two to three weeks it takes. Because we aren’t waterproof while we moult, we don’t swim or eat, so we put lots of weight on first to keep us going till our new feathers have grown through.

Why not pop back and see the Macaroni penguins in a couple of weeks – I bet they’ll look beautiful! (So will I – I always do.)

Love Ping x