Citizen science helps to discover a thriving Fiordland penguin population in Milford Sound

Fiordland penguin and chick in Milford Sound.
Credit: Dr Thomas Mattern, Tawaki Project

NEW ZEALAND – A search for the elusive Fiordland penguin (known as tawaki in Maori) in Milford Sound has revealed the birds to be thriving.

The Tawaki Project,a collaboration between the Department of Conservation, University of Otago, Global Penguin Society and West Coast Penguin Trust, is the first major research on Fiordland penguin numbers since the 1970s. The project aims to identify sea-based factors that influence the penguins’ foraging and breeding success along the coastlines of South Westland, Fiordland, Stewart Island and Codfish Island.

New protected areas for Argentina's Magellanic penguins

Adult Magellanic penguin and two chicks begging for food.
Photo credit: Dee Boersma

ARGENTINA – They live far from the North Pole, but Christmas came early for the stout-bodied, black and white Magellanic penguins of Patagonia's Punta Tombo region. On 3 December, the legislature for Chubut province established a new marine protected area off Punta Tombo, which would help preserve the feeding grounds for about 500,000 Magellanic penguins that make their home along this rocky stretch of Argentine coast.

"This is really exciting. We've long wanted to see the waters around Punta Tombo protected," said University of Washington (UW) biology professor Dee Boersma, who has been studying the Magellanic penguins there for more than 30 years.

For some Fiordland crested penguins, there's no place like home

Fiordland crested penguin in Milford Sound © Thomas Mattern

NEW ZEALAND – When it comes to exploration and endurance swimming, Fiordland crested penguins at Milford Sound would rather stay at home.

Preliminary results from an investigation of the penguins' behaviour have shown, while West Coast penguins travel up to 100 km from their breeding colonies in search of food, those from Harrison Cove in Milford Sound seldom moved further than 1 km. Only one adventurous bird travelled 9 km to the outer reaches of Milford Sound.