Fiordland Crested Penguin

Tue, 13 February 2024

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The Fiordland Crested penguin is one of the rarest penguins in the world! These peculiar birds stand out amongst the other penguin species because they specialise in hiding in the nooks and crannies of the forest floor.

Q. Kia ora Tawaki! What makes you unique?

A. For starters, Fiordland penguins are endemic, which means we live exclusively in New Zealand. We spend about 80% of our lives at sea, but when we do come ashore, we head into the forest. We occupy a diverse habitat, living and breeding along the temperate, inshore southwest coast of New Zealand’s South Island. We stand out from the other crested penguin species because in the right conditions, we can raise two chicks, while other crested penguin species can only raise one at a time.

Q. Where are your favourite hangout spots?

A. When I’m in coastal areas and not out foraging further offshore, I look for nooks to hide in. I nest well out of the sight of other creatures - we like dense coastal forests, crafting nests amidst fallen trees. I can also be found in rocky areas with caves and large boulders.

Q. What types of food do you eat?

A. I eat all sorts of small seafood around New Zealand and Antarctica, including fish, squid, and when I’m out in the subantarctic ocean, krill!

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

A. It depends on who you are talking to...during the breeding season, we have well defined roles assigned to males and females. When raising chicks, Mums are responsible for finding food in the ocean and feeding the chicks at night. The Dads, on the other hand, stay at home and defend the eggs and chicks against intruders (mostly other penguins). In fact, Dads are so devoted to that role that they spent up to six weeks on the nest without food until the chicks are big enough to go and hang out with the neighbour’s kids.

Our routine becomes a little different when breeding is finished, and we prepare for our annual moult in February. Growing new feathers is a tough process and I can't swim or catch prey while moulting. Once my new feathers have grown in, it’s time for me to head to the open ocean to hunt and regain my lost body weight. I stay out at sea for several months during the autumn and winter, braving cold temperatures to find food and spending long enough in the water that barnacles often settle and grow on my tail!

Q: What's your favourite thing about being a Fiordland Penguin?

A. Probably swimming! I can dive up to about 150m deep (although most of my dives are down to 50m or so) and over a few weeks I can swim halfway to Antarctica and back, covering distances of 7000 km or more in one go, all in search of food. This incredible skill is thanks to my streamlined body and powerful flippers. These all help me move quickly through the water, snatch up slippery prey, and outpace predators – the ocean can be dangerous!

Q. What’s something that most people don’t know about you?

A. Many people believe that the different coloured feathers on my stomach and back are a trait which helps me keep a low profile in the water. It was thought that the light feathers on my stomach helped me blend in with the water’s surface from below and the black feathers on my back allowed me to camouflage with the dark ocean water, keeping me out of sight from the predators above. However, this is not the case because even though I have a white belly, if you look at me from below, you can still see the outline of my shadow against the surface of the water. As for the black feathers protecting me from predators above, my main predators at sea are leopard seals, sea lions, sharks, and orca - all of which cannot fly, so wouldn’t be able to see me from above.

Thanks to Tawaki Project leader Dr. Thomas Mattern for reviewing our 'interview' and making sure we got our Tawaki facts straight!

View the Fiordland Crested Penguin 'Creature Card' PDF

These creature cards are designed to download, print & display with your poster.
Find a format to suit your needs in this Google Drive folder.

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