Erect-Crested Penguin

## Description

The erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri ) is a penguin endemic to the New Zealand region and only breeds on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands. It has black upper parts, white underparts and a yellow eye stripe and crest. It spends the winter at sea and little is known about its biology and breeding habits. Populations are believed to have declined during the last few decades of the twentieth century, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as being "endangered".

## Appearance

The Erect-crested penguin is a medium to large bird. Female penguins are usually smaller than males. The birds have long, slender bill, colored with brown-orange. The head, upper throat and cheeks of adult erected-crest penguins are dark black. The under parts of the bird are white in color. The upper parts, the body and tail of the penguin are colored with blue-black. They have a wide, yellow colored band, starting near the face over each eye, and composing an erect crest. The plumage on the flippers is white ventrally with a black colored spot at the tip, and blue-black dorsally, fringed with white. Compared to adult penguins, juveniles are colored a bit different, and the crest on their head is shorter than that of adults. The upper parts of the chicks are gray-brown, and the under parts are white.

## Distribution

During the winter, Erect-crested penguins live in sub-Antarctic waters, coming ashore only by the beginning of the breeding season. They usually breed on offshore islands in the south coast of New Zealand, including Antipodes, Bounty, Auckland and Campbell Islands. The nesting areas of these penguins are typically beaches as well as coastal cliffs and rocks. They prefer to nest on bare sites or these with scarce vegetation.

## Behavior

Erect-crested penguins are diurnal birds. They are highly social animals, gathering into large nesting colonies. On their breeding grounds, there is a fierce competition for nesting sites, and they can often be seen fighting with each other to get the best location. Mating pairs are able to identify each other by sight. In addition, during the daytime hours, they use harsh, low-pitched vocalizations, consisting of pulsed phrases and pronounced at a steady rate. Every year, in March-April, breeding adults undergo molt, which lasts for 26-30 days. In the middle of April, the penguins leave the colony, going out to sea and staying there until September. Meanwhile, non-breeding penguins molt earlier, in February-March. The erect-crested penguins are excellent divers and swimmers. They are also capable of traveling long distances.

## Diet

Erect-crested penguins are carnivores (piscivores). The diet of these birds primarily consists of fish, krill, crustaceans and cephalopods.

## Reproduction

Erect-crested penguins have monogamous mating system. The birds gather into large breeding colonies. In September, the penguins arrive at their breeding colonies. Usually, males arrive before females, finding the nesting site, which the pair used during the previous breeding season. Then, after 2 weeks, the females arrive. The pre-egg period is characterized by increased activity and even occasional fighting. The female typically lays 2 eggs in October. Egg laying takes about 3-5 days, during which the female does not eat. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs. As a general rule, the first laid egg usually doesn't hatch, so, after 35 days of incubation, a single chick hatches out. After 3 days, the female leaves, while the male stays with the hatchling, guarding the nest for the next 3-4 weeks. However, the mother returns every day to feed the young. At the age of 3 weeks, the hatchling joins a crèche of other chicks, but the parents continue to feed the juvenile. After fledging in January-February, the young penguin leaves, going out to sea.

## Population

### Population threats

Although the reasons for reduction of their population are presently unknown, it is considered that the birds are affected by changes in oceanographic productivity throughout their range. These changes decrease breeding success of the birds, making adult penguins swim further in order to get food for their offspring.

### Population number

The population of the Erect-crested penguin is currently decreasing, estimated to 26,000 breeding pairs on the Bounty Islands and 41,000 pairs on the Antipodes Islands, which makes up total population about 150,000 mature birds. On the IUCN Red List, the species is classified as Endangered.

## Fun Facts for Kids

The species is named after Philip Lutley Sclater, an English zoologist.

Unlike other birds, penguins don't have hollow bones. The bones of these birds are much heavier, counteracting their natural buoyancy and helping penguins swim quickly.

These fascinating penguins are excellent climbers. They breed high on ledges, quickly climbing steep rocky cliffs to reach their breeding sites. Meanwhile, professional rock climbers would require a lot of safety equipment and much more time to climb these rocky cliffs.

If necessary, these penguins can dive very deep in search of suitable food. Erect-crested penguins eat as much food as they can since they have to store up their body fat, which helps them survive during mating and molting, when the birds usually do not eat, relying solely on this fat.

These birds possess special spikes on the back of their mouth and on the tongue, helping them hold and swallow prey without chewing it.

In order to protect the future offspring from predators, these penguins usually build their nests on steep rocky grounds, which are hard to reach. The nests are made of mud, vegetation and stones.

## References

https://animalia.bio/erect-crested-penguin