F I O R D L A N D P E N G U I N S
Like all the crested penguins the Fiordland Penguins have a long droopy crest of bright yellow feathers starting at the bill and extending back behind the eyes. They are very much like the Snares Penguins with the only difference being the white streaks of feathers on the cheeks of the Fiordland penguins. They are also known as the "Fiordland crested penguins" and the "thick-billed penguins". | 
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| They are shy and timid and live and breed on the rugged west and southwest coastlands of the South Island of New Zealand, including two offshore islands of Stewart and Solander. The breeding and brooding habits of this penguin have been difficult to study because it lives in the temperate rainforest. The nesting areas are difficult to see because of the thick vegetation where the nests are located. The total population has been estimated to be fewer than 1,000 breeding pairs. |
Fiordland penguins make their nest in the soft ground in the thick undergrowth of plants well apart from other birds' nests. Usually two eggs are laid but only one chick survives. The egg is kept warm for 30 to 36 days with the male and the female taking turns on the nest in long 5 to 12 day shifts. After the eggs hatch the male stays with the chick for 2 to 3 weeks while the female brings food. Chicks are left alone to hide in the underbrush or they may form small crèches while both parents hunt food. Chicks get their adult feathers and go to sea in about 75 days. | 
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