Fiordland Penguin
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| Fiordland Penguin Conservation status: Vulnerable | ||||||||||||||
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| Eudyptes pachyrhynchus G R Gray, 1845 |
The Fiordland Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) is a penguin from New Zealand. It breeds along the coast and on islands off the Fiordland coast (i.e. south-west of the South Island) as well as on Stewart Island.
This is a medium-sized, yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin, growing to approximately 60cm. It has dark, bluish-grey upperparts with a darker head, and white underparts. It has a broad, yellow eyebrow-stripe which extends over the eye and drops down the neck. Most birds have 3-6 whitish stripes on the face.
This penguin nests in colonies in dense temperate forest. It feeds on krill, fish, octopus and squid.
The current status of this penguin is vulnerable due to its small population. Current population estimates range between 2,500-3,000 pairs and is thought to have declined since the late 1980s by ca. 33%. It is under threat from introduced predators including the Weka, dogs, cats, stoats and rats.
External link
- Fiordland penguins from the International Penguin Conservation Web Site (http://www.penguins.cl/fiordland-penguins.htm)de:Dickschnabelpinguin
fr:Gorfou du Fiordland it:Eudyptes pachyrhynchus ja:フィヨルドランドペンギン