Snares Penguin

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Snares Penguin
Conservation status
Vulnerable (VU)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae Genus: Eudyptes Species: E. robustus
Binomial name
Eudyptes robustus Oliver, 1953

The Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus), also known as the Snares Crested Penguin and the Snares Islands Penguin, is a penguin from New Zealand. It breeds on The Snares, a group of islands off the southern coast of the South Island.

This is a medium-sized, yellow-crested penguin growing to approximately 60cm. It has dark blue-black upperparts and white underparts. It has a bright yellow eyebrow-stripe which extends over the eye to form a drooping, bushy crest. It has bare pink skin at the base of its large red-brown bill.

This penguin nests in small (10 nests) to large (1200 nests) colonies under forest cover or the open. Main colonies are located on North East Island, other colonies are established on Broughton Island as well as the rocky Western Chain. The Snares penguins' main prey is krill (~60% of diet), supplemented by squid (~20%) and small fish (~20%).

The species is currently rated as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN as its breeding range is restricted to one small island group. The current population is estimated at around 30,000 breeding pairs.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2005). Eudyptes robustus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable

[edit] External links

• In-depth information on Snares penguins and their biology
• Snares penguins from "International Penguin Conservation" Web Site
• Penguin World: Snares penguin
• ARKive - images and movies of the snares crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus)