New Zealand: The World's Penguin Capital

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New Zealand is the world’s penguin capital. There are sixteen species of living penguins, nine of which breed in New Zealand and at least another four are visitors. New Zealand is home to the greatest diversity of penguins.

Penguins belong to an exclusive family of birds called Spheniscidae. While many groups of water birds include one or two flightless species, penguins are the only group in which all members are flightless. This universal loss of flight suggests that, whatever evolutionary event drove the ancestors of penguins to give up flying, the transition to swimming and diving has been enormously successful. Through these exercises, penguins have the capability to resort to an alternative strategy and thus inevitably achieving an apt substitute to flying.

Contrary to most people’s idea of a penguin’s habitat, these species of penguins can be found deep in the shade of southern New Zealand’s coastal forests and offshore Islands. These species are unique among penguins because they choose to build their nests deep beneath lush rainforest and there is not an iceberg in sight. The location of their habitat highlights their resourceful nature and efficiency by producing a home in the forest. Fiordland crested penguins are especially shy and perhaps most vulnerable to disturbance as being the least social of all penguins. They nest individually, or in loose colonies in nest sites such as caves, under overhangs, at the base of trees or in dense vegetation.

Usually we perceive penguins as being surrounded by icebergs and snow but Fiordland crested penguins have chosen to ignore this penguin stereotype in favour of a more temperate climate. Luckily for visiting penguin enthusiasts this means Fiordland can be spotted without hav...

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...y estimated to be around 3,000 breeding pairs of Fiordland crested penguins. Clearing the land for farming removes the vegetation Fiordland Crested Penguins need to shelter their nests. Indirect threats include pollution, overfishing and – perhaps most insidious – global warming.

References:

Penguin.net.nz -Fiordland crested. 2014. Penguin.net.nz -Fiordland crested. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.penguin.net.nz/species/fiord/index.html. [Accessed 16 February 2014].

Penguins – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 2014. Penguins – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/penguins. [Accessed 16 February 2014].

Fiordland Crested Penguins. 2014. Fiordland Crested Penguins. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.photovolcanica.com/PenguinSpecies/Fiordland/FiordlandCrestedPenguinPhotos.html. [Accessed 16 February 2014].

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