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Fiordland Penguins
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Fiordland Penguins
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The name of the Fiordland penguin comes from the place where this penguin lives. A fiord is a long and narrow inlet of the sea that is surrounded by steep cliffs. These kinds of formations are found in southwest New Zealand. These rugged New Zealand coasts are covered with rain forests. Fiordland penguins belong to the family of crested penguins so it has a crest of long, drooping feathers that begin in front of the eyes near the beak and extend back over the eyes to the back of the head. Its appearance is much like the Snares penguins but can be distinguished by the white patch near the cheek. They will grow to be about 55 cm tall and will weigh about 4 kg. The feathers of the chick are downy and are brownish grey on the back and white on the front. The crests of the chicks are much shorter than the adults. |
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The Fiordland penguins do not like to near other penguins so they build nests far apart from one another in the soft earth in thick undergrowth. They like to build nests in dense vegetation, at the base of trees, in caves or under rock overhangs. Sometimes they will make nests in loose open groups called colonies. The male birds will come to the nesting sites in mid winter, during the month of June. The females will follow soon thereafter. The female will lay eggs in July. As with many penguins, two eggs are laid, but only one egg will survive to hatch. The parents take turns keeping the egg warm and protected. It will take about 36 days for the egg to hatch. The parents will take turns of 5 to 12 days with the egg while the other parent goes to hunt for food. After the chick hatches from the egg, the male will stay with the chick for the next 14 to 21 days. The female is responsible for feeding the chick. After this time the parents will both hunt for food while the the chick is left alone, hiding in the thick vegetation or sometimes the chicks will gather together to form a group called a crèche for warmth and protection. When the chicks are about 75 days old, their baby feathers will fall out and be replaced with adult feathers. This is called molting. When the adult feathers are in, the young penguin will go out to sea to hunt for its own food. |
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Not much is known about the kinds of food Fiordland penguins eat. Some people think that Fiordland penguins eat mostly squid and some fish. |
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Some animals hunt the Fiordland penguins for food. Cats, dogs, weasels, ferrets, and fur seals will eat the Fiordland penguin for food. |
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Graphics and information about the Fiordland Crested Penguin come from
these web sites: |
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