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The Fiordland Penguin

This is a medium-sized, yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin, growing to approximately 60cm. It has dark, bluish-grey upperparts with a darker head, and white underparts. It has a broad, yellow eyebrow-stripe which extends over the eye and drops down the neck. Most birds have 3-6 whitish stripes on the face.

This penguin nests in colonies in dense temperate forest. It feeds on krill, fish, octopus and squid.

Decreasing Population of Fiordland Penguins
The current status of this penguin is vulnerable due to its small population. Current population estimates range between 2,500-3,000 pairs and is thought to have declined since the late 1980s by ca. 33%. It is under threat from introduced predators including the Weka, dogs, cats, stoats and rats.

Scientific Classification of The Fiordland Penguin

> Kingdom: Animalia
> Phylum: Chordata
> Class: Aves
> Order: Sphenisciformes
> Family: Spheniscidae
> Genus: Eudyptes
> Species: E. pachyrhynchus

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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