Appearance
The average growth of adults is 60-70 cm. Penguin weighs about 7 kg. The plumage is mostly black, with the exception of the white belly and chest. An adult individual has a characteristic yellow strip passing through the eyes. Young animals do not have it, like yellow feathers on the crown. The plumage is replaced at the age of 14-16 months.
Where they live
These birds nest on the southern coasts of New Zealand, on about. South, about. Campbell and Auckland. At this time, they can be found in forests or shrubs. The rest of the time they occupy only the southern coasts of New Zealand.
Natural enemies
Representatives of the Mustelid family are hunting for yelloweyed penguins, namely ermines with ferrets. Both dogs and cats attack these endemics.
What eats
Yelloweyed penguins are able to overcome about 15 km in search of food. But the maximum distance that Hoykho can pass in a day 30 km. Typically, birds have special places for sucker, which are located on the edge of the shelf.
Endemics of New Zealand are sparkling with a sprat and red cod, blue cod, ahur and Silverside. They can fill the diet and squid.
Reproduction
Penguins are monogamous, but create or resume relations only during the mating season.
The reproduction season begins in August. It lasts about 28 weeks. At first, the penguins create nests from grass and sticks. These “houses” are necessarily located under some kind of obstacle that protects from the wind and covering from predators: a tree trunk or stone.
Then, in September-October, penguins lay 2 eggs. They are painted in green, but change color during the first day. Size 1 egg 7 per 5 cm. Penguins force eggs in turn for 37-54 days. Kids begin to hatch in early November.
Over the next 6 weeks, one of the parents monitors the chicks, and the second every day goes in search of food. Kids begin to lean from February to March. After that, the cubs go north, up to the Cook Strait. Despite this, adult penguins can be found in places of reproduction all year round.
Molting
Yelloweyed penguins change plumage once a year. The process itself lasts about a month, from late February to midMarch.
During this period, the plumage absorbs moisture well and therefore the penguins remain on land. Because of which they subsequently lose several kg.
Population
This type is included in the MSOP list as an endangered. To date, only 5-6 thousand pairs are left. The reduction in the number of population was affected by the development of agriculture, importing to the habitats of rodents, as well as an epidemic in 2004, due to which most of the chicks died.
