Yellow-Eyed Penguins - One Minute Nature Show

Yellow-eyed penguins are one of three species of penguin native to New Zealand. Known as hoiho in the Maori language, they are primarily found on the South Island and a couple sub-Antarctic islands. They are also prominently featured on New Zealand’s five dollar banknote.

Like most penguins, 90% of their diet consists of fish. The other 10% consists of arrow squid and certain species of jellyfish.

With populations hovering at 4000, yellow-eyed penguins are the rarest of the penguin species, and they are becoming even rarer.

Since the mid-1990s, their populations have dropped 75% on mainland New Zealand and are still declining. If this decline continues, yellow-eyed penguins will disappear from mainland New Zealand in the next 20 to 40 years.

But that’s it for now, so tune in next time for another episode of One Minute Nature Show!

[technoendo]

Awesome video Teddy! I don't recall hearing about these yellow-eyed penguins and their declining numbers before.