Eudyptes sclateri
Erect-crested Penguin [+]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Spheniscidae
Genus: Eudyptes
species: Eudyptes sclateri
+ITIS +WoRMS +Conservation Status

Description & Behavior

The erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri (Buller, 1888), is the largest of the 6 species of crested penguins standing about 50 cm tall and weighing up to 4 kg. The characteristic brush-like crests distinguish the erect-crested penguin from other species, however they are easily confused with their cousins the Fiordland and Snares crested penguins. Males are generally larger than females. Adults have black heads and throats with a wide yellow stripe on the face that extends above the eye forming the erect crest. This species sports the classic tuxedo with a black back and white belly. The dorsal side of the flippers are black with a white edge and the ventral side of the flippers are white with a black patch at the tip. Erect-crested penguins have long, slender beaks that are dark orange in color. Juveniles are distinguished from adults by their slight difference in color and shorter crests.

Erect-crested penguins are a very social species with many displays and vocalizations. Like other penguin species, mating pairs recognize each other both by sight and the distinct vocalizations of individual birds whose harsh, low-pitched calls are heard during the day. Aggressive displays are characterized by the use of the crest and by a lowered head combined with growling or barking. Fighting behavior includes twisting of bills, biting and flipper beating.

World Range & Habitat

Erect-crested penguins, Eudyptes sclateri, are only found in the New Zealand subantarctic region, primarily on the Antipodes and Bounty Islands, with smaller populations found around the Auckland and Campbell islands. Juveniles are sometimes found molting on the New Zealand mainland.

» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips] | Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | [about]

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

The erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri, is thought to feed on small fish and krill near the surface and may travel hundreds of kilometers to hunt for prey.

Life History

Erect-crested penguins, Eudyptes sclateri, breed in large colonies on rocky coasts, often high up steep inclines where nests are formed on rock platforms. This species often breeds near rockhopper penguin colonies. Courtship displays include an enthusiastic greeting with an open bill, vertical head swinging, trumpeting, quivering, bowing and preening. Males return to the breeding colonies in September competing and fighting for nest sites. The females join the males 2 weeks later and work together to form nests made of mud, stones and grass. Females lay 2 eggs, the first of which is lost 98% of the time, leaving the larger second egg to be incubated. Incubation lasts for about 35 days, and the chicks are fed regurgitated food by the female until they fledge in February. Adults return to sea after molting in March.

Comments

Erect-crested penguins are thought to be declining in number at an estimated rate of at least 50% over the last 5 decades. Because of their limited breeding range, they are threatened by human disturbance and competition.

Erect-crested penguins, Eudyptes sclateri, are listed as Endangered (EN A2b; B2ab(i,ii,iv,v)) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:

ENDANGERED (EN)
A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

References & Further Research

BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia

Center for Biological Diversity: Penguins
Erect-crested Penguin, Eudyptes sclateri - International Penguin Conservation Working Group
New Zealand Penguins, by Dave Houston

Search the Web for Erect-crested Penguin » ARKive ~ Ask.com ~ Ask Jeeves ~ bing ~ deviantART ~ dmoz ~ Dogpile ~ Google Images ~ MySpace Images ~ OceanFootage ~ Picsearch ~ StumbleUpon ~ Yahoo! Images ~ YouTube

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Citation: Eudyptes sclateri, Erect-crested Penguin - MarineBio.org. Retrieved , from .

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Eudyptes sclateri Erect-crested Penguin [+]