Yellow-eyed Penguin

Megadyptes antipodes

One of the rarest penguins. Nests alone in forest. Must nest out of sight of other penguins. Eye contact causes stress.

Population: ~2,600-3,000 mature individuals, decreasing
Habitat: Coastal forest and scrub remnants for nesting (often solitary/loose pairs up to 1 km inland); forages at sea over the continental shelf, diving to benthic (seafloor) depths usually under 100 m
Fun fact: Known to Maori as hoiho ("noise shouter") for its shrill call, the yellow-eyed penguin appears on New Zealand's five-dollar note and is one of the world's rarest penguin species, with its northern mainland (Otago Peninsula/South Island) population having declined roughly 80% since 2008 (739 breeding pairs in 2008 to ~143-265 pairs in recent surveys).
Range: Endemic to New Zealand — breeds on the southeastern South Island coast, Stewart Island, and the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands; juveniles disperse north as far as Cook Strait
Diet: Primarily fish (about 90% of diet), especially demersal species like silversides, blue cod, red cod, and opalfish, plus squid and crustaceans
Size: 0.7 m
Lifespan: 20 years

More Penguins