Macaroni penguin
on 14th January 2012
Comments
Yes it is moulting, and
Yes it is moulting, and apparently every two years or so one of these guys end up here somewhere on the coast. Did contact SANParks to deal with the issue as once I had spotted the guy (right next to the boardwalk) there was no way he was not going to be mobbed! Hung around till they turned up as the tourists were all to eager to crowd him so we could at least see to it that he was not too "harassed". Apparently once human contact has been made they must go to SANCOB as they are not allowed to return to their breeding colony for fear of disease...that is what I was told.
Sad
It is so sad that they are always removed before people that would die to see one on SA soil can get a chance to get there.
Would probably be okay if
Would probably be okay if people didn't get so over enthusiastic, then they could be left in peace but people all try and touch and pet the birds. With the real threat of diseases being returned to the breeding colony I can quite understand why they get removed when in very public areas such as this one. I know of at least one other case where the bird was left and he finished the moult and returned to the sea ... not bothered by humans as he was in a area not easily accessible to the public.
ID: Rockhopper or Macaroni
Ian Sinclair notes (06 June 2012 07:29 AM):
"the image of the moulting penguin is a rockhopper, not macaroni"
Have requested him to post a revised ID.
Re: ID
Not really my area of expertise, Tony, but let's look through the books and see what we can say:
In Peter Harrison's definitive 1983 field guide (Seabirds: An Identification Guide), he says (p.204) Rockhopper can be distinguished from Macaroni on smaller size (no help here), black occipital crest (I assume he's referring to the black spiky crest between the yellow "eyebrow" plumes, as can be seen here), and that the golden plumes don't reach the bill or join together across the forehead.
Roberts Online mentions that Rockhopper has a smaller, weaker bill.
This is also a juvenile penguin, as both Macaroni and Rockhopper adults and immatures have black throats. Harrison says juvenile Rockhopper plumage is "much as adult but with only a faint crest and white mottling on chin and throat". Macaroni "much as adult except head plumes reduced to broken yellow wisps on forehead and behind eye; chin and throat dark grey."
The fact that this is a moulting juvenile makes identification difficult without experience, but I think we can say this at least:
(1) in the first image, there seems to be the beginnings of a black crest between the eyes over the top of the head.
(2) even juvenile Macaroni Penguins should have some evidence of the yellow plumes joining (e.g. this image).
(3) the throat seems to be mottled white rather than dark grey, but not sure if that means anything.
(4) the bill looks quite weak to me, when comparing to images in some of the galleries below.
Conclusion: Rockhopper Penguin.
Macaroni gallery:
http://www.hardaker.co.za/macaronipenguin1.htm
http://www.oceanlight.com/lightbox.php?sp=eudyptes_chrysolophus
Rockhopper gallery:
http://www.oceanlight.com/lightbox.php?sp=eudyptes_chrysocome
http://www.hardaker.co.za/westernrockhopperpenguin1.htm
Thanks
Thanks for all the info, all I do know is that their presence here is rare, happening about once every two years or so according to those in the "know". Not the usual visitor to this part of the coastline but at least we now know what it was. Thanks Rudi.
A great sighting
This is an incredibly unusual sighting, Sharon - without a doubt the rarest Bird observation on iSpot thus far! I know of many a birder who would not hesitate to fly down to the Cape at the drop of a hat if there was a chance of seeing either Macaroni or Rockhopper.
Thanks
Wow thanks Rudi, knew it was unusual but not that unusual! Numerous tourists had walked past it without even noticing its presence. He was visiting the Southern Most Point of Africa while waiting for a "new" set of feathers :)
SANParks came and collected him simply because he was in such a high tourist traffic area.
Rarity submission
Well done for being observant! Would you be able to submit a rarity report, Sharon? Birdlife South Africa has an official committee that looks into national rarities and keeps formal records of such observations. You can see their guidlines on the Birdlife South Africa website:
http://www.birdlife.org.za/get-involved/rarity
It would be best to submit the highest resolution images you have.
Also, you may be interested in joining the SA Rare Bird News group, which is something of a rapid-response network for keeping track of current known rarities in the region:
http://groups.google.co.za/group/sa-rarebirdnews
Will most definitely do that,
Will most definitely do that, unfortunately it was in Jan already but do know that they would like it for record purposes. Just a pity I did not realise at the time just how unique our "visitor" was. Once again thanks for the correct id, I never questioned it (which will teach me next time to do it)!
Unusual sighting
Surely it is unusual to see them here? Do you think it is moulting? Have you shown the pic to the ADU crowd at UCT? I am sure they would be interested for their atlas. Email: [email protected]. See http://penguins.adu.org.za/