Crested Penguins (Eudyptes)

Snares Crested Penguin (Eudyptes Robustus)

They have an average length of 20 to 24 inches and the weight for males varies between 5.4 and 8.5 lbs depending on age and the time of the year. The head, cheeks, and throat and upper parts are black and the under parts white. They have a prominent area of bare shin at the base of the bill, which helps distinguish them from the Fiordland penguin. At sea they resembles most other crested penguins as the crests flatten against the side of the nape, most similar to the Fiordland and Erect Crested penguins. Females as with all crested penguins weigh slightly less. They breed only on the Snares Island, but the non-breeding range extends to the Antipodes, Chatham, Stewart Islands, and the mainland South Island. They feed mainly on shrimp and fish. There are an estimated 30,000 breeding pairs of penguins. The population is vulnerable despite the fact that most live on the Snares Islands which is a New Zealand protected refugee, because of limited breeding areas. There are no introduced land mammals on Snares Island. They lay a smaller A egg and a larger B egg as other crested penguins. Unlike the Rockhopper both eggs hatch successfully 64% of the time.

Royal Penguin (Eudyptes Schlegeli)

They are the second tallest of the crested penguins averaging 27 inches in length. The weight in males varies from 9.5 to 15 lbs with females weighing slightly less. There is less data on their weights than with other penguins. They are confined almost entirely to and breeding restricted to Macquarie Island a subantarctic island of Australia. Non-breeding range is around the waters of Macquarie Island. Rare penguins have been seen outside of Macquarie Island. They were previously considered to be a subspecies of the Macaroni penguin because of the resemblance of the orange-yellow plumes. However the cheeks from crest to throat are pure while or pale gray (see middle thumbnail above) which distinguishes them from the black faced Macaroni penguin. They eat mainly fish and krill. Their population is estimated at 850,00 pairs and is considered stable. They lay a smaller A egg whose survival is ~15% and the larger B egg as other crested penguins. The female generally displaces the A egg from the nest. They can dive at a depth of 50 to 150 feet and dives rarely exceed two minutes. They can swim up to 6.2 mph.

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