Yellow-eyed Penguin (hoiho)

Read Halfmoon Bay School's blog and movie to find out their research into the yellow-eyed penguin.

The yellow-eyed penguin - or hoiho (its Maori name) - the noise shouter is one of New Zealand's endangered species. It is considered one of the world's rarest penguins. It is the fourth largest penguin in the world and adults reach around 65 cm in height and weigh around 5 to 5.5 kg.

Click the image to see a 4 minute Meet the Locals video on the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust annual penguin chick count on Codfish island. This YouTube video clip shows a yellow-eyed penguin coming ashore and setting off up the hill. Listen and look at the the noise shouter (hoiho).

The yellow-eyed penguin is a long distance athlete capable of travelling up to 27.5km daily looking for fish swimming back to shore and then walking long distances up hills to their nests. They are amazing underwater marathon swimmers. Helped by their wings - which are more like flippers - and a body shape similar to seals and dolphins, they can dive down to 120 metres deep, holding their breath for up to four minutes.  This is necessary because it is believed that they mainly feed on the sea floor.

Researchers have found that yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago Peninsula forage on average 19.9 km from their breeding sites with the maximum range of 27.5 km. Then, they have to swim another 19.9 km to 27.5 km back home.

How far can you swim without getting exausted?

How did the researchers find out where and how far the yellow-eyed penguins go at sea?

They used two types of data loggers: miniature GPS loggers recorded geographical position and dive depth at set intervals, while time-depth recorders (TDRs) recorded only dive depth. They also found that the birds often dived for food at the same places on the sea floor.

Take a look at yellow-eyed penguins swimming.

Yellow-eyed penguins breed in forest or scrubland, choosing to build nests against rocks or tree trunks - out of visual contact of other pairs.

Its numbers have declined in the last 50 years due to habitat loss and environmental changes. They are attacked by dogs, and their chicks are killed by cats, stoats and ferrets. Out at sea hoiho tangle and drown in set nets, or may not be able to find enough fish to eat.