Eudyptes pachyrhynchus One of the rarest penguins, the Fiordland crested numbers only 3,000 breeding pairs and is only found on the South Westland, Fiordland and Stewart Island coasts of New Zealand. The most timid of the crested penguins, the Fiordland crested penguin stands about 40cm and weighs around 4 kilograms. The head, throat and upperparts are black and underparts white. The sulphur-yellow crest starts at the base of the base of the bill, extends over the eye and droops down the back of the head.
Adults often have white stripes on the cheeks, juveiles have a shorter crest and pale cheeks.
Habitat Fiordland crested penguins breed in the rainforests along the rugged coastline of south-west New Zealand. They nest individually, or in loose colonies, close to the coast. Nest sites are in caves, under overhangs, at the base of trees or in dense vegetation. The female follows shortly after and two eggs are laid in July. The second egg hatches first, while most first eggs fail to hatch.