Penguins
About the yellow-eyed penguin
The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust is a long established non-governmental organisation with a specific focus on the conservation of hoiho across its range.
We ensure the survival of hoiho by managing birds and their habitat, and addressing impacts in the marine and terrestrial environments.
The yellow-eyed penguin / hoiho Megadyptes antipodes
Status: nationally endangered (NZ classification 2021)
Get behind the Dunedin wide campaign to vote Hoiho for Bird of the Year 2024! With only 131 breeding pairs left on mainland New Zealand, the hoiho needs our help now more than ever. Together, we can make a difference Head to www.wilddunedin.nz/hoiho for more information. Voting closes September 15th!...Continue
Our friends over at Little Yellow Bird have designed a beautiful tee shirt that you can buy to support the endangered hoiho. Funds raised from the sales of this tee will be donated to us at the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, as well as the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, and The Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance – The...Continue
We are seeking a seasonal Ranger to join our field team delivering hoiho management and habitat fieldwork. This is an exciting role. Covering the hoiho breeding season you will be carrying out the hoiho field monitoring program. This involves tasks such as hoiho nest searching, hatching and chick monitoring, moult management and a wide range...Continue
We are pleased to announce details for the 2024 Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust Annual Meeting. Held via Microsoft Teams: Tuesday 26 March 2024 at 5:30pm Level 1, John Wickliffe House 265 Princes Street, Dunedin All welcome – we invite you...Continue
Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for a penguin lover in your life? Look no further. This year we will again be offering short, custom poems for your special someone. Make a donation online before midday on February 14th (NZ time please) and send an email to admin@yeptrust.org.nz to order your poem. Donations can...Continue
Applications now closed. The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust is pleased to announce that it is searching for two new trustees to join the Trust Board. We are looking for one full Trustee who will serve a 3-year term, as well as one Emerging Leader Trustee who will serve a 1-year term. Our objective is to consistently...Continue
Of the yellow-eyed penguin
Two greenish-white eggs, about 75×55 mm in size, are laid. Both parents share the incubation, which takes about 43 days.
Two greenish-white eggs, about 75×55 mm in size, are laid. Both parents share the incubation, which takes about 43 days.
The eggs hatch and the guard stage begins. This is a 40-50 day period when one parent stays at the nest while the other fishes. Although guarded constantly during this stage, the chicks are still vulnerable to predators.
The guard stage is a 40-50 day period when one parent stays at the nest while the other fishes. Although guarded constantly during this stage, the chicks are still vulnerable to predators.
By the time chicks are 6-7 weeks old, both parents must fish each day to satisfy the voracious appetites of their demanding young. This is the post-guard stage and towards the end the chicks will start to lose their soft brown down.
The chicks fledge into their waterproof plumage and go to sea, an extremely hazardous time, with fewer than 20% surviving to maturity.
The parents have just a few weeks to recover and put on weight before beginning the annual moult. They are confined to land whilst they wait for their old feather coat to be replaced.
The parents have just a few weeks to recover and put on weight before beginning the annual moult. They are confined to land whilst they wait for their old feather coat to be replaced.
The penguins head out to sea but return every night to sleep, preen and socialise. Soon it will be August and the busy breeding season will begin again. About 50% of surviving juveniles will return to breed at the place where they were hatched.
The penguins head out to sea but return every night to sleep, preen and socialise. Soon it will be August and the busy breeding season will begin again. About 50% of surviving juveniles will return to breed at the place where they were hatched.
The penguins head out to sea but return every night to sleep, preen and socialise. Soon it will be August and the busy breeding season will begin again. About 50% of surviving juveniles will return to breed at the place where they were hatched.
The 28-week breeding season begins when partnerships are formed or renewed, and nest sites selected. A suitable nest site must be hidden from other breeding pairs, have a solid back such as a log, rock or flax plant, and provide shelter from harsh weather and the heat of the sun.
You’re now officially signed up as a yellow-eyed penguin supporter!