Fiordland penguin

Details

I. Species Overview

The yellow-browed penguin, a member of the genus Eudyptes, is endemic to the southwestern Fiordland and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Because it often breeds in dense forests and rocky crevices, nesting in secluded locations, and spending extended periods at sea, population monitoring is difficult, and historical estimates are likely underestimated.

II. Distribution and Habitat

It primarily breeds along the southwestern coast of New Zealand's South Island and its offshore islands. A small number of individuals forage offshore and drift into the Tasman Sea and even the Australian coast. Breeding grounds are often located near moist temperate rainforests/shrublands, on rocky shores, in caves, or beneath fallen logs, minimizing the risk of heat and predation.

III. Behavior and Ecology

The breeding season typically occurs in late winter or early spring, with the roosting site dispersed and sensitive to disturbance. Its diet primarily consists of squid, with a supplementary diet of krill and small fish. Different colonies exhibit significant differences in diving depth and feeding depth, reflecting the spatial heterogeneity of the nearshore marine environment.

IV. Conservation Status and Threats

The IUCN currently assesses this species as Near Threatened (NT), but the New Zealand Department of Home Affairs (DOC) has classified it as Nationally Threatened in its domestic assessment. Core threats include:

• Introduced predators (ferret badgers/rats/wildcats/dogs) invading nesting areas, leading to egg and chick losses;

• Human disturbance and tourism pressure cause adult birds to leave their nests, leaving chicks vulnerable to predation;

• Fishermanship interactions (bycatch/food competition) and changing sea conditions affect foraging success.

Priority measures: Predator control/fencing of key breeding sites, visitor management in nesting areas, marine area management (reducing bycatch), and long-term marking/acoustic and satellite tracking monitoring.