Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Megadyptes antipodes (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841)

5.3 kgWeight

The yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), known also as hoiho, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand

Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Yellow-eyed Penguin has been recorded at 18 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Katiki PointNew Zealand417 records
  2. Stewart Island – Titi Islands PelagicNew Zealand159 records
  3. Taiaroa Head – Royal Albatross CentreNew Zealand103 records
More places
  1. Stewart Island – east coast pelagic watersNew Zealand98 records
  2. Nugget PointNew Zealand96 records
  3. Rakiura NP – Ulva IslandNew Zealand55 records
  4. Foveaux StraitNew Zealand52 records
  5. Stewart Island – Oban & Halfmoon BayNew Zealand32 records
  6. Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand21 records
  7. Aramoana Mole/Harbour EntranceNew Zealand17 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), known also as hoiho, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand. It is the sole extant species in the genus Megadyptes, from Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas), meaning "large", and δύπτης (dúptes), meaning "diver".

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Yellow-eyed Penguin?

The Yellow-eyed Penguin weighs around 5.3 kg.

Where does the Yellow-eyed Penguin live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: southeastern South, Stewart and satellites, Auckland and Campbell islands (south of South Island; New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the Yellow-eyed Penguin?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Yellow-eyed Penguin endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow-eyed Penguin as Endangered.

What does the Yellow-eyed Penguin eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Yellow-eyed Penguin in?

It belongs to the family Penguins (Spheniscidae), order Sphenisciformes.

At a glance

Weight
5.3 kg
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Endangered
More measurements
Wing
128 mm
Tail
59 mm
Bill
65 mm
Tarsus
33 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: southeastern South, Stewart and satellites, Auckland and Campbell islands (south of South Island; New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Penguins Spheniscidae
Genus
Megadyptes

More from the family Penguins

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Yellow-eyed Penguin

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Oscar Thomas. ↗

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