Yellow-eyed Penguin
or Yellow-crowned penguin
Scientific Name: Megadyptes antipodes
Size
Yellow-eyed penguins are about 30 inches (75cm) tall. They weigh 12 pounds
(5.6kg).
Where are they found?
They breed only in the south-east area of New Zealand, including Auckland
and Campbell Islands.
What do they eat?
They eat Squid and small fish.
Main Predators
Their main predators are Wild Cats, Ferrets Stoats and Dogs. They also have
been persecuted by Man.
Highlights
They are slate grey, with forehead and crown of pale gold with black stripes.
They also have yellow eyes which give them their name.
Their rookeries are found on scrub and forest-covered slopes facing the sea
up to half a mile (1 kilometre) inland. The nests are made of sticks and
coarse grass in holes or among rocks or scrub or forest.
Two creamy-white eggs are laid in September/October. Both eggs are incubated.
The incubation period is 40 to 50 days. The young are fully-fledged by about
February. Moulting takes place at the same site and the birds remain in the
area through out the year, coming ashore every night.
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