Scientific name: Eudyptes pachyrhychus
IUCN status: NT – Near Threatened
Population trend: Declining
Size: Fiordland Penguins are around 40-45cm tall
Weight: Little Penguins weigh around 3-4kg
What are the babies called? A Fiordland Penguin baby is called a "chick"

Fiordland Penguins breed throughout and are endemic to south-western New Zealand’s South Island, including the Fiordland region for which they are named, Stewart Island, and other several offshore islands. Outside of breeding season they travel across New Zealand, into deeper ocean, and occasionally as far as the Australian mainland as they forage.   

Fiordland Penguins eat fish, squid, octopus, and krill.

Fiordland Penguins that make the 2000km journey through sub-Antarctic waters and happen to reach Australia are often malnourished and require treatment at Taronga’s Wildlife Hospital. To prevent potential spread of disease to the declining wild population, these rescued penguins are unsuitable for return to New Zealand and instead join Taronga Zoo Sydney’s colony as an insurance population and ambassadors for their wild relatives. 

Taronga’s colony is the only Fiordland Penguin population in any zoo globally. It is hoped that the group will successfully raise chicks in the future to form the first zoo-based breeding program for the special species. Taronga’s Fiordland Penguin ambassadors have allowed for significant insight into the biology and behaviours of these rare birds that guides conservation work.

One of the biggest threats to penguins is the accidental entanglement or digestion of litter. Most of this pollution comes from items designed to use just once. Single-use plastics may offer a moment of convenience however they will never break down, putting wildlife like the Fiordland Penguin at risk. 
 

Visit our Litter Free Oceans page to find out more about the difference you can make!