Birds · Sphenisciformes · Spheniscidae

Fiordland Penguin

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Fiordland penguin is one of the rarest penguins in the world and one of the few that nests inside a rainforest: it breeds under tree roots and in sea caves along the Fiordland coast, among ferns and moss. It has a yellow crest that starts above the eye and three or four white stripes on the cheeks. Introduced stoats, rats and dogs are its greatest threat on land.

Weight

2.5 kg – 4.5 kg

Size

55 cm – 60 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Estimated population

Between 2,500 and 3,000 breeding pairs

Temperate forestOceanIslandsCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Near Threatened Bird Temperate forest Ocean Islands

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Fun facts

It is one of the very few penguins in the world that nests inside temperate rainforest, among ferns and tree roots, sometimes hundreds of metres from the sea.
It lays two eggs but almost always raises a single chick: the first egg is smaller and is usually lost, a pattern shared by all penguins of the genus Eudyptes and whose purpose is still debated.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Coastal temperate rainforest and sea caves of the south-west of the South Island of New Zealand
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: 33 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudyptes_pachyrhynchus