Erect-crested penguins
Scientific Name:  Eudyptes Sclateri 

The name of the Erect-crested penguin comes from the yellowish feathers that stand up on either side of the adult penguin's head. These feathers make the Erect-crested penguin easy to identify when they are on land. When the penguin is in the water and the feathers are wet they lay down and make it look like other penguins with crests. Two other penguins have similar feathers. They are the Fiordland and Snares crested penguin. But, the Erect-crested penguin has the ability to raise and lower these feathers. The other penguins can not do this.   They can grow to about 65 cm tall and weigh about 6 kg.

They are sometimes called Sclater's Penguins.

Besides being smaller, chicks look different because their back feathers are brown grey. Their front feathers are white.

Erect-crested penguins are very social and gather in large groups on the rocky coasts where they lay their eggs. These areas are near groups of Rockhopper penguins. The male will return to the nesting area in September every year. The females will arrive about 2 weeks after the males.

The nests are simply made depressions of mud and rocks. Two eggs are laid by the female, but only the second of the two eggs will survive to hatch. Both parents will take care of the egg, they will take turns staying with the egg and feeding at sea. It will hatch after about 35 days. During the next 21 days, the chick will stay in the nest and the male parent will stay to protect the chick. The female parent will go to sea to feed and return to feed the chick. The male does not eat during this time.

About 21 days after hatching, the chicks will begin to leave their nests anf form groups called crèches. Both parents will leave the nest now to feed. But they will return to the nest to find the chick and feed it. Though the female does more of this than the male.

When the chicks are about 70 days old they will begin going to sea on their own to feed. The adults will go to sea as well and stay at sea and fatten up for about two months. They will return to the nest area where they will molt. They will grow new feathers to replace the old ones. This takes about a month to complete.

After molting is complete the adult penguins will go to sea and travel great distances for about 6 months. Then they will return to the colony of nests and begin laying eggs again.

While much is unknown about the diet of the Erect-crested penguin, it is believed that they like to eat small sea animals called krill, other small fish, and squid.

There are some animals that hunt erect crested penguins for food. These animals include the brown skua (a kind of  bird) and the fur seal.