The erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri; Māori: Tawaki nana hī) is a type of penguin found only in the New Zealand region. It only builds nests and raises its young on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands. This penguin has black feathers on its back, white feathers on its belly, and a yellow stripe and crest around its eyes. During the winter, it spends time at sea. Scientists know little about its life and how it reproduces. Its numbers have decreased over the past few decades, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified it as "endangered."
Description
This penguin is small to medium in size, with a yellow crest on its head and black-and-white feathers. It measures 50–70 cm (20–28 in) long and weighs 2.5–6 kg (5.5–13.2 lb). Males are slightly larger than females and have bigger beaks, as is common among crested penguins. Its upper body is dark blue to black, and its underparts are white. A wide, bright yellow stripe runs over the eye and forms a short, upright crest. On average, males weigh 6.38 kg (14.1 lb) (based on 22 samples), and females weigh 5.4 kg (12 lb) (based on 22 samples). This makes the erect-crested penguin the largest of the crested penguin species and the fourth heaviest living penguin, with an average weight close to that of the gentoo penguin.
Little is known about the biology of this species, and only a small amount of information has been discovered in recent years. A recent study on the Antipodes Islands focused on how the penguins choose mates. Research is difficult because of the challenges of reaching the area and strict rules from the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
This penguin likely eats small fish, krill, and squid, similar to other crested penguin species.
The binomial name honors the British zoologist Philip Lutley Sclater.
Distribution
Erect-crested penguins breed on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands. Earlier records show small groups of these penguins also lived on Campbell Island and the Auckland Islands. In the 1940s, a pair of penguins was seen breeding on the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand. These penguins spend long periods at sea during the time before they shed their feathers (February–March) and during the winter months (March–August). They have been spotted as far as the Falkland Islands and sometimes travel to Argentina, Antarctica, and Australia.
Erect-crested penguins build nests in large groups on rocky ground. On the Antipodes Islands, they nest in colonies that include only their species or sometimes share space with Southern Rockhopper penguins. On the Bounty Islands, they live in large groups with Salvin's albatross. These penguins lay two eggs between September and late January. The first egg is usually 25% to 70% smaller than the second egg. The large difference in egg sizes shows that the larger egg is given more care and attention during incubation.
Status
Populations of this species are thought to have decreased greatly since the 1940s. Numbers estimated in the late 1970s showed about 230,000 breeding pairs on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands, but the accuracy of these numbers has been questioned recently. There is a lot of evidence showing big drops in numbers during the second half of the 20th century, though these drops have slowed down in recent years. Today, the population is estimated at 150,000 adults. This species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.