Yellow Eyed Penguin

Possibly the rarest of the world’s penguins, these solitary birds have declined in population due to the ravages of introduced species and habitat loss.

Their distinctive features are the golden feathers forming a crown on their heads, along with the bright yellow stripe running to the eye and around the back of the head.

Their backs are slate-blue with white breast and belly, flesh coloured feet and thick reddish coloured bills. Immature birds lack the yellow eye band and head plumage and have grey eyes. Male and female are alike although males have slightly larger head and feet; its semi-musical call is unlike the harsh note of other penguins.

May be seen in the evening heading back from the sea, where it has been hunting for yellow-eyed mullet, red cod and squid, sometimes covering long distances over difficult ground.

The yellow eyed penguin lays one or two oval, white eggs, and both female and male incubate them. About 80% of eggs hatch but only 15% of chicks survive to maturity.