yellow eyed penguins at the Penguin Place

We took a tour at  The Penguin Place where the rarest penguins in the world are cared for. 

Most of the yellow eyed penguins we saw were juveniles that were molting. Many of the juveniles are not prepared for this phase of their life the first year, so they are monitored and weighed and brought to the sanctuary if they are under-weight. 

The penguins are not kept for more than 8 weeks as they are wandering creatures that do not do well in captivity.

In Maori, they are called 'Hoiho' which means 'noisy little buggers.' Well, that's close.

Below are two adults. Notice the face stripe that the juveniles don't have yet.

They make their lone nests along the shore, sometimes in grass, and not in colonies.

This reserve is the most northern that the penguins live, most of them living on the islands south of  New Zealand's two major islands.


Nature Thursday - DND

Saturday Critters