Fiordland Crested Penguins

Fiordland Crested Penguins

The fiordland crested penguin, one of several crested penguins, is one of the most timid and one of the most under threat. Like other crested penguins they have two long plumes of bright yellow feathers beginning either side of the beak and continuing back beyond the eyes. The penguins are 40-60cm high and 4kg (8lb) in weight. The head, throat and back are black and the front white. The adults have a few white stripes on the cheeks and the juveniles have shorter plumes and paler faces. They are also called thick billed penguins, pokotiwha or tawaki. Breeding only around New Zealand, they are seen on Stewart Island, South Westland and on islands in Fiordland. I saw two of these near bushes on the shore near Milford Sound but was too far away to take photographs.

They are similar to the Snares Island penguin and erect crested penguin. Unlike the Snares Island Penguin they do not have pink skin patches behind the beak. The crests of the Fiordland Penguin are flatter than those of the erect crested penguin.

Estimates of numbers range from 1000 to 3000 and estimates of decline are 33% since the 1980s.

The males return to the nest sites in June and the female arrives a little later, usually coming ashore at night. Nests are at the roots of trees, in caves or crannies or in dense vegetation or bushes. They nest singly or in small groups not too close to each other. They often nest near sources of fresh water, which they drink.

Two eggs are laid in July after which the male takes over brooding and guarding the eggs and chicks. Like most other crested penguins although 2 eggs are laid only one chick is usually reared. This is thought to be hormonal. The male fasts while the female goes to sea to feed to build up strength after laying.

When the chick hatches the males continues to look after it while the female fishes at sea and feeds it. The second egg hatches first but most first eggs do not hatch. If both eggs hatch the smaller chick from the first laid egg usually dies of starvation.

The eggs are incubated for 30-36 days with the parents taking turns for 5 to 12 day shifts while one goes to sea to feed. After the eggs hatch the male cares for the chicks for 2-3 weeks while the female goes to sea coming back to feed the chick with regurgitated food.

As the chick gets bigger both parents go to sea to feed leaving the chick alone to hide in the under growth. It sometimes wanders away but returns to the nest site to feed when the parents return. Some time it joins a crèche with other chicks.

It takes about 70 to 75 days for the chick to be fully fledged and sufficiently waterproofed after preening with oil from its oil gland. It then can go to sea and feed itself. This happens in November. Each year after breeding the penguins return to land to moult at which time they are miserable, no longer waterproof and cannot go back to sea to feed. At this time they are very vulnerable indeed to land predators.
When the penguins are 5 years old they return to their nest site to start breeding.


The penguins feed on krill, octopus, small fish and squid usually near to the shore.

Predators are humans, weka, dogs, cats, stoats, rats, ferrets which predate on chicks and eggs and, at sea fur seals and sharks.