Fiordland Penguin
| Fiordland Penguin | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Genus: | Eudyptes |
| Species: | E. pachyrhynchus |
| Binomial name | |
| Eudyptes pachyrhynchus G R Gray, 1845 |
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| Distribution of the Fiordland Penguin | |
The Fiordland Crested Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), also known as Tawaki (Maori), is a species of crested penguin from New Zealand. It breeds along the Fiordland coast and its outlying islands as well as on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
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[edit] Taxonomy
Also known as the Fiordland Crested Penguin, the Fiordland Penguin was described in 1845 by English zoologist George Robert Gray, its specific epithet derived from the Ancient Greek pachy-/παχυ- 'thick' and rhynchos/ρυνχος 'beak'.[1] It is one of six species in the genus Eudyptes, the generic name derived from the Ancient Greek eu/ευ 'good' and dyptes/δυπτης 'diver'.[1]
[edit] Description
They are medium-sized, yellow-crested, black-and-white penguins, growing to approximately 60 cm (24 in) long and weighing on average 3.7 kg (8.2 lbs), with a weight range of 2 to 5.95 kg (4.4 to 13.1 lb).[2] It has dark, bluish-grey upperparts with a darker head, and white underparts. It has a broad, yellow eyebrow-stripe which extends over the eye and drops down the neck. Most birds have 3-6 whitish stripes on the face.
[edit] Distribution and habitat
This penguin nests in colonies in dense temperate forest. It breeds along the Fiordland coast and its outlying islands as well as on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
[edit] Diet
The main prey species reported for Fiordland penguins are cephalopods (85%, mainly Arrow squid, Nototodarus sloanii), followed by crustaceans (13%, primarily Krill, Nyctiphanes australis) and fish (2%, mainly Red Cod and Hoki). However, the importance of cephalopods might be exaggerated.[3]
[edit] Conservation
The current status of this penguin is threatened due to its small population. Current population estimates range between 2,500-3,000 pairs and is thought to have declined since the late 1980s by around 33%. It is under threat from introduced predators including dogs, cats, stoats and rats.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged Edition). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
- ^ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0849342585.
- ^ van Heezik, Y: Diet of the Fiordland Crested penguin during the post-guard phase of chick growth, Notornis 36: 151-156 (1989)
- BirdLife International (2005). Eudyptes pachyrhynchus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 6 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is vulnerable
[edit] External links
- Fiordland Penguins @ Penguins in New Zealand
- Fiordland penguins from the International Penguin Conservation Web Site
- Penguin World: Fiordland penguin
- www.pinguins.info : information about all species of penguins
- Roscoe, R. "Fiordland Penguin". Photo Volcaniaca. http://www.photovolcanica.com/PenguinSpecies/Fiordland/FiordlandCrestedPenguinPhotos.html. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
- Fiordland Penguin - www.penguins.com.au
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