Penguins
Native birds
New Zealand could be called the penguin capital of the world; we have more penguin species on our shores than
any other country. Penguins are a unique group of flightless seabirds that are at home on land and in the sea.
They are covered with a waterproof coat of dense, short and flattened feathers, and their wings are modified into
flippers. On land they walk upright, standing up to one metre high, and in water they can swim rapidly and dive
for food.
Penguin facts
Fiordland crested penguins
Otago Conservancy
Published by
Department of Conservation
Christchurch
2006
NS0088
•
Thirteen of the world’s 18 penguin species
have been recorded in the New Zealand region
(including the Ross Dependency). Nine of these
species breed here.
•
Three penguin species breed on the New Zealand
mainland: little blue (kororä), yellow-eyed (hoiho)
and Fiordland crested (tawaki). These species
breed alone or in small groups, unlike their
Antarctic relatives that gather in large colonies.
•
Although the penguin’s ancestors were flying
birds, penguins do not have this skill and they
instead use their paddle-like wings (flippers) to
propel themselves through the water. Penguin wing
bones are solid, unlike flying birds’ wings which
are hollow to save weight.
•
Penguins dive to catch food, including fish, krill
(tiny shrimp-like creatures), squid and a wide
range of marine invertebrates. The emperor
penguin holds the diving record at 450 metres
deep and 11 minutes underwater.
•
Penguins feed their young by storing fish in their
stomach and regurgitating it. This means adults
not only have to catch enough fish for themselves;
they also must slow the digestion process to
ensure that their chicks get a meal once they arrive
home.
•
Unlike flying birds, which moult and replace their
feathers gradually so that they can continue to fly,
penguins moult all of their feathers at once. This
enables them to go back out to sea without ‘leaks’
in their waterproof insulation. Moulting is a stressful
time for penguins, and during this two to five week
period in late summer birds may look sick and
ragged.
Species that breed on the
New Zealand mainland
Yellow-eyed penguin / hoiho
The yellow-eyed penguin, unique to New Zealand, is
one of the world’s rarest penguins. Its name comes
from its distinctive yellow iris. A distinctive yellow
headband is also present in adults and is gained in the
first moult at one year of age. Dorsal plumage is grey/
blue in colour, and the belly snow-white.
Yellow-eyed penguins are found along the southeastern coast of the South Island. They are also found
on Stewart Island and its offshore islands and on
Auckland and Campbell Islands. Numbers on the NZ
Mainland vary between 400–600 breeding pairs with
large fluctuations occurring between years in response
to marine conditions.
Yellow-eyed penguin
P. J. Moore
Small population sizes, restricted geographical
ranges, predators and habitat degradation all
contribute to the vulnerability of mainland New Zealand
penguin species. The main land-based predators are
stoats, ferrets, rats, dogs, and feral cats. Penguins are
also highly susceptible to human disturbance when
nesting.
The Mäori name for the yellow-eyed penguin is hoiho,
which means ‘noise shouter’ and refers to their shrill
call. You can usually hear them before you see them!
The yellow-eyed penguin is the New Zealand species
most affected by habitat loss. A forest or shrubland
nesting species, the yellow-eyed has come under
pressure as forest has been replaced with pasture.
Fiordland crested penguin / tawaki
Other threats to penguins include:
The Fiordland crested penguin has a black head,
throat and upperparts and white underparts. The
sulphur-yellow crest starts at the base of the bill,
extends over the eye and droops down the back of the
head. Adults often have white stripes on the cheeks,
while juveniles have a shorter crest and pale cheeks.
•
A slight warming of sea temperatures in the past
50 years, which is thought to have forced vital food
species such as krill further south.
•
Fisheries by-catch of penguins, especially when gill
nets are used. Entanglement in nylon fishing line
discarded by recreational fishers is also a threat to
penguins.
•
Spills of light fuel oil from fishing boats and the
emptying of engine-room bilges. The oil coats
penguins’ feathers and prevents them from
insulating properly. Fortunately, these incidences
are rare around New Zealand.
•
Sharks, seals, sea lions and occasionally orca prey
on penguins while at sea. Leopard seals, usually
residents of the Antarctic region, are specialist
penguin predators and NZ sea lions occasionally
dine on penguins. Fur seals rarely do.
•
Skua (a large gull-like bird) and giant petrels are
the penguin’s only avian predators and will both
take poorly guarded eggs and chicks. Skua are
also capable of killing adult blue penguins.
This species’ breeding range is the rugged coastline of
South Westland, Fiordland and the islands of Foveaux
Strait and Stewart Island. The birds nest individually,
or in loose colonies, close to the coast. Nest sites are
in caves, under overhangs, at the base of trees or in
dense vegetation.
The population is currently estimated to be around
3000 breeding pairs but little information is available
on population trends.
Blue penguin
R. Morris
Threats
Blue penguin / Kororä
The blue penguin is the smallest
penguin in the world, standing
just 25 cm tall and weighing a
little over 1 kg. Its plumage is
slate-blue with a bright white
belly and it lacks any type of
crest. In Canterbury, experts
also recognise a separate subspecies, known as the whiteflippered penguin. It is difficult
to distinguish from the blue
penguin, but to the discerning
eye the white-flippered is slightly
larger, lighter in colour and has a
characteristic broader white band
at the front of its flipper.
Blue penguins only come ashore under the cover of
darkness and live underground in burrows, natural
holes, or under human structures and buildings. They
remain around their colony all year, although they may
make long foraging trips of more than 70 km during
the non-breeding period.
The population and range of the little blue penguin has
been declining in areas not protected from predators.
Where predator control is in place, populations have
been stable or increasing.
How can you help?
Please keep dogs away from penguin colonies and
do not disturb nesting sites. Do not leave old fishing
line on beaches or throw it into the sea. Report
any penguin sightings to the local Department of
Conservation office and gain professional advice
before disturbing a bird, even if you think it is sick. In
many instances, these birds are simply moulting.
You may want to donate your time or money to help
non-profit organisations and voluntary groups who
work to protect penguins. Your local DOC office should
be able to put you in contact with these groups.
Further information
The Department of Conservation welcomes any
comments or suggestions you may have about the
conservation of New Zealand’s penguins. More
information can be found at www.doc.govt.nz