Fiordland Penguin
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| Fiordland Penguin | ||||||||||||||
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| Eudyptes pachyrhynchus G R Gray, 1845 |
The Fiordland Crested Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) is a 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 about 3.7 kg (8.2 lbs). 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
It feeds on krill, fish, octopus and squid.
[edit] Conservation
The current status of this penguin is vulnerable 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. The endemic Weka (Gallirallus australis) has been introduced to several islands where it preys on eggs and chicks.
[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.
- BirdLife International (2005). Eudyptes pachyrhynchus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 6 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is vulnerable
