The erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri ) is a penguin endemic to the New Zealand region and only breeds on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands. It has black upper parts, white underparts and a yellow eye stripe and crest. It spends the winter at sea and little is known about its biology and breeding habits. Populations are believed to have declined during the last few decades of the twentieth century, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as being "endangered".
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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Flightless birdFlightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostri...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Erect-crested penguin is a medium to large bird. Female penguins are usually smaller than males. The birds have long, slender bill, colored with brown-orange. The head, upper throat and cheeks of adult erected-crest penguins are dark black. The under parts of the bird are white in color. The upper parts, the body and tail of the penguin are colored with blue-black. They have a wide, yellow colored band, starting near the face over each eye, and composing an erect crest. The plumage on the flippers is white ventrally with a black colored spot at the tip, and blue-black dorsally, fringed with white. Compared to adult penguins, juveniles are colored a bit different, and the crest on their head is shorter than that of adults. The upper parts of the chicks are gray-brown, and the under parts are white.
During the winter, Erect-crested penguins live in sub-Antarctic waters, coming ashore only by the beginning of the breeding season. They usually breed on offshore islands in the south coast of New Zealand, including Antipodes, Bounty, Auckland and Campbell Islands. The nesting areas of these penguins are typically beaches as well as coastal cliffs and rocks. They prefer to nest on bare sites or these with scarce vegetation.
Erect-crested penguins are diurnal birds. They are highly social animals, gathering into large nesting colonies. On their breeding grounds, there is a fierce competition for nesting sites, and they can often be seen fighting with each other to get the best location. Mating pairs are able to identify each other by sight. In addition, during the daytime hours, they use harsh, low-pitched vocalizations, consisting of pulsed phrases and pronounced at a steady rate. Every year, in March-April, breeding adults undergo molt, which lasts for 26-30 days. In the middle of April, the penguins leave the colony, going out to sea and staying there until September. Meanwhile, non-breeding penguins molt earlier, in February-March. The erect-crested penguins are excellent divers and swimmers. They are also capable of traveling long distances.
Erect-crested penguins are carnivores (piscivores). The diet of these birds primarily consists of fish, krill, crustaceans and cephalopods.
Erect-crested penguins have monogamous mating system. The birds gather into large breeding colonies. In September, the penguins arrive at their breeding colonies. Usually, males arrive before females, finding the nesting site, which the pair used during the previous breeding season. Then, after 2 weeks, the females arrive. The pre-egg period is characterized by increased activity and even occasional fighting. The female typically lays 2 eggs in October. Egg laying takes about 3-5 days, during which the female does not eat. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs. As a general rule, the first laid egg usually doesn't hatch, so, after 35 days of incubation, a single chick hatches out. After 3 days, the female leaves, while the male stays with the hatchling, guarding the nest for the next 3-4 weeks. However, the mother returns every day to feed the young. At the age of 3 weeks, the hatchling joins a crèche of other chicks, but the parents continue to feed the juvenile. After fledging in January-February, the young penguin leaves, going out to sea.
Although the reasons for reduction of their population are presently unknown, it is considered that the birds are affected by changes in oceanographic productivity throughout their range. These changes decrease breeding success of the birds, making adult penguins swim further in order to get food for their offspring.
The population of the Erect-crested penguin is currently decreasing, estimated to 26,000 breeding pairs on the Bounty Islands and 41,000 pairs on the Antipodes Islands, which makes up total population about 150,000 mature birds. On the IUCN Red List, the species is classified as Endangered.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...