Fun Fiordland Crested Penguin Facts For Kids
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The Fiordland penguin is endemic to New Zealand. The distribution range of this species is spread across parts of south Westland which includes the Bruce Bay and Open Bay Islands, Fiordland, Solander Island, Codfish, and Stewart Island, and outliers.
This penguin is found in mature temperate rain forests or dense coastal shrubs, sea caves, and under rock boulders. The Fiordland crested penguins ideally nest in loose colonies.
They often breed in a secretive habitat. The breeding season commences in June.
Each individual penguin's nest is built in a cave or in gaps between rocks, where it is out of sight from other nests and predators. The population of this species is continuously declining due to various predatory animals and human intervention.
A yellow strip starts at the nostril and extends past the eye and then droops down to the neck which helps in identifying them. They even have three or four white stripes on their cheeks.
The lower half of the bird is silky white. This species has a large orange bill and a thin strip of black skin at the base.
Read on to discover more fun facts about this bird! For more relatable content, check out these little penguin facts and Snares penguin facts for kids.
Fiordland Crested Penguin Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Fiordland crested penguin?
The Fiordland penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) is a type of flightless bird that belongs to the animal kingdom.
What class of animal does a Fiordland crested penguin belong to?
The Fiordland penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) also known as Tawaki belongs to the class of Aves.
How many Fiordland crested penguins are there in the world?
The current population estimate is between 5,000-7,000 individual Fiordland penguins. This makes them nationally Vulnerable, and it has been observed that this figure is on the decline due to predators like dogs, cats, rats, and human disturbance.
Where does a Fiordland crested penguin live?
The Fiordland penguin is endemic to New Zealand. The distribution range of this species is spread across parts of south Westland which includes the Bruce Bay and Open Bay Islands, Fiordland, Solander Island, Codfish, and Stewart Island, and outliers.
This penguin is found in mature temperate rain forests or dense coastal shrubs, sea caves, and under rock boulders. Some of them are even found in hollows under fallen trees, roots, boulders, or rock crevices.
What is a Fiordland crested penguin's habitat?
The New Zealand Fiordland crested penguin habitat primarily consists of the mature temperate rain forest or dense coastal shrub, sea caves, and under rock boulders. The nesting areas of these birds are in hollows under fallen trees, roots, boulders, or rock crevices and in between tree roots.
These crested penguins live in colonies with their chicks and other species of Fiordland penguins.
The Fiordland crested penguin range is spread across parts of south Westland which includes the Bruce Bay and Open Bay Islands, Fiordland, Solander Island, Codfish and Stewart Island, and outliers. This species can survive only in very low temperatures.
Who do Fiordland crested penguins live with?
The Fiordland penguins live in colonies with their chicks and other species of crested penguins. This species is quite extroverted. They love to socialize with other members of their colonies.
How long does a Fiordland crested penguin live?
Both male and female Fiordland penguins have an average life span of 10 - 20 years in their natural habitat. These penguins can live for longer if kept captive and protected from predators. The primary reason for their short lifespan is predators.
How do they reproduce?
Fiordland crested penguins ideally nest in loose colonies. They often breed in a secretive habitat. The breeding season commences in June.
Each individual penguin's nest is built in a cave or in gaps between rocks, where it is out of sight from other nests and predators. Typically two eggs are laid by the female penguin in a difference of three to six days.
The first egg is smaller than the second egg. The Fiordland penguin typically cares for only one egg and raises only one chick despite laying two eggs. In some rare cases where the environment is favorable, two chicks have been raised successfully.
These chicks grow together and stay together. The incubation of the eggs commences when the second egg is laid.
This period is called the nesting period. The nesting period can go on for a month and sometimes even longer. Both the male and female incubate the eggs for five days each.
Right after the period of incubation female and then the male leave the chicks or chick alone and abandon the other Fiordland penguins for 10-14 days. These breeding pairs then take off for a foraging trip.
This marks the end of the breeding season. The nests are typically left behind where the chick grows and matures into an adult penguin. The breeding season then starts off only a year later.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the Fiordland penguins is Near Threatened. The population of this species is continuously declining due to various predatory animals and human intervention.
Fiordland penguins are highly sensitive to human disturbance, especially during breeding and molting sites which leads to a drastic decline in the population of these birds in that particular region. Disturbance during the breeding season can also cause penguins to flee, which leads to nest predation that causes starvation in penguins.
Fiordland Crested Penguin Fun Facts
What do Fiordland crested penguins look like?
Fiordland penguins have a dark blue and black upper half which starts from the head and is covered in short and broad feathers. These feathers are often darker on the head.
They even have a broad yellow eyebrow that is called the crest. This yellow strip starts at the nostril and extends past the eye and then droops down to the neck.
They even have three or four white stripes on their cheeks. The lower half of the bird is silky white.
This species has a large orange bill that has a thin strip of black skin at the base. The Fiordland penguin eyes are dark brownish red, and feet and legs pinkish-white on the top and blackish-brown behind under the soles.
The Fiordland penguin chick has short, thin yellow eyebrow stripes and a whitish chin and throat, and a small round head. The plumage of chicks is bluish, fading to black.
How cute are they?
This penguin species is very cute, and these flightless birds look adorable while wabbling around their nests. These birds are great divers and love diving into the sea. This adds to their appearance.
How do they communicate?
These birds use calls to communicate. Their calls include loud braying or trumpeting. These calls are high-pitched contact calls, and low-pitched hissing and growling. These calls are similar to those of snares crested penguins.
How big is a Fiordland crested penguin?
The Tawaki penguin is 24 in (61 cm) tall. This flightless bird is mid-sized. These are one of the largest penguins found in the South Islands and Stewart Island.
How fast can a Fiordland crested penguin move?
The Tawaki penguin can't fly, but they can swim at a range of 15 mph (24 kph) while they are underwater.
How much does a Fiordland crested penguin weigh?
The Tawaki penguin weighs only 8.2 lb (3.7 kg). They are bigger than Galapagos penguins and rockhopper penguins.
What are the male and female names of the species?
The species name for both male and female is Tawaki or Fiordland crested penguin. They do not have specific names for males and females.
What would you call a baby Fiordland crested penguin?
The baby Fiordland crested penguin is called a chick.
What do they eat?
The diet of the Fiordland crested penguin primarily consists of fish larvae, small fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and krill. They may be described as piscivores based on their diet.
Are they poisonous?
No, this species of penguins are not dangerous or poisonous but they can become aggressive to their partners and predators, depending on the circumstance and need.
Would they make a good pet?
These birds can not be kept as a pet as their suitable habitat and diet can only be found in regions of New Zealand, South Island, and more such regions. The conservation status of these birds is quite poor and their population is on a decline making them all the more unsuitable pets.
Did you know...
The inspiration behind the name of this bird is its broad yellow eyebrow.
The breeding season of these penguins takes place exclusively in the month of June.
This species can not lay more than two eggs in each breeding season.
The population of these birds is declining every day due to predatory animals like cats and dogs.
What is the common name for the Fiordland crested penguin?
The common name of the Fiordland crested penguin is Fiordland penguin.
Are Fiordland crested penguins endemic?
Yes, these birds are endemic to New Zealand.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these jacana fun facts and umbrellabird interesting facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our crested penguin coloring page.
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Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Accounting and Finance
Fiza TalathBachelor of Commerce specializing in Accounting and Finance
As an assistant financial accountant, Fiza has developed a strong understanding of the business world. Her Bachelor of Commerce degree, specializing in Accounting and Finance from St Joseph's College of Commerce (Autonomous), enhances her ability to cover a wide range of topics, including finance, accounting, and business. Fiza's writing skills allow her to communicate complex concepts in a clear and engaging manner. She is also passionate about animal welfare, and enjoys writing on this subject as well.
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