Snares crested penguin

Appearance and lifestyle:

Snares crested penguins (Eudyptes robustus) are a rare species of penguin, they have a yellow eyebrow stripe which forms a bushy crest, they have red eyes and can grow to 70 cm tall. They are distinguished from other crested penguins by the bare pink patch of skin near the base of their bills. Female and male penguins look alike but male penguins are slightly bigger than females and they have a thicker beak.

Snares crested penguins are diurnal breeders who breed in colonies. The penguins that do not breed, which are mostly juveniles molt from January to March whereas adult penguins molt from March to April. These penguins can be territorial and aggressive, during conflicts they use their beaks to push one another, and this determines the penguins' rank. To preserve heat, they usually huddle together. These penguins mainly communicate by chest pumping to attract mates and bowing regularly to their partners and children.

Habitat:

Snares crested penguins are very unusual, nesting in open coastal forests on small islets around New Zealand's South Island.

Diet:

These penguins are carnivores, and they eat small fish, krill and squid.

Threats:

The snares crested penguin is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list. The threats they face includes pollution, climate change etc.