Penguin Rescue NZ
  • HOME
  • Watch Live!
  • HOW CAN YOU HELP?
  • DONATE
  • JOIN
  • CONTACT
  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  • LEARN
    • Katiki Pt. Chick Weights 2021/2022
    • Okahau Pt. Chick weights 2021/2022
    • Video Tutorials
    • Yellow-eyed penguin biology
    • Penguin science
    • Rehabilitation
    • Advocacy and reports
    • Visitor impact on penguins
  • NEWS
    • Weekly News
    • Facebook news
    • Facebook archive
  • MEMBERS PAGE
  • HOME
  • Watch Live!
  • HOW CAN YOU HELP?
  • DONATE
  • JOIN
  • CONTACT
  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  • LEARN
    • Katiki Pt. Chick Weights 2021/2022
    • Okahau Pt. Chick weights 2021/2022
    • Video Tutorials
    • Yellow-eyed penguin biology
    • Penguin science
    • Rehabilitation
    • Advocacy and reports
    • Visitor impact on penguins
  • NEWS
    • Weekly News
    • Facebook news
    • Facebook archive
  • MEMBERS PAGE
www.penguinrescue.nz
​0211710832
Picture
Facebook news
From our scientist, Hiltrun Ratz, PhD
scientist@penguins.org.nz
Picture
Picture

The new generation

31/10/2016

Comments

 
We have chicks in our yellow-eyed penguin colony! Here are a couple that are about 5 days old. 
For the first 2-3 weeks these chicks are vulnerable to Diphtheria that can kill them so we are extra vigilant to spot early signs such as bold flippers and small size for age. These are doing ok and have no symptoms so far but we will be checking them every other day because it can kill them within 24-48 hours. Nervous times for us but we can treat them if they do indeed get sick. Keeping fingers and toes crossed!
Picture
Comments

Flipper photo bomb

28/10/2016

Comments

 
Those of you who have been following our posts for a while will remember this nest: it's the same pair that we caught mating - sort of - the ones that did the tango and brought nesting material. Here they are with their first egg. One of them is on the nest guarding - but not incubating - it while the other is nearby. They often park right next to the camera - effectively photo bombing it.
The yellow-eyed penguins lay their two eggs about 3-4 days apart but the chicks hatch usually on the same day. The first egg is guarded but not incubated until the second arrives. They then lie on them properly for about 6 weeks until the chicks hatch.
Comments

Penny Box

26/10/2016

Comments

 
This is a box with a kind sponsor in a part of our colony we have recently opened up for the penguins. The penguins loved it and moved right in. They are an experienced pair and have two fertile eggs and we are looking forward to posting some baby photos soon. Not long now!
Picture
Comments

Special boxes

23/10/2016

Comments

 
We have many more special penguins but we wanted to feature some of our special nest boxes and thus acknowledge our sponsors for generously donating to our charitable trust which allows us to continue our work for the penguins.
So first up is a box sponsored by Alina and Silas, a couple of kids from the other side of the planet who wanted their names on the yellow-eyed penguin breeding box all the way over here. There is never a guarantee that penguins will pick a sponsored box but in their case it met with the penguins' approval and here is dad with his two eggs. So thank you Alina and Silas for your kind donation. Soon there will be baby photos to post too!!
If you want to know more about sponsoring a nest box or a penguin please visit http://www.penguins.org.nz/donate.html to see the options. All donations are gratefully received and go to the penguin work in full.
Picture
Comments

Stitches

21/10/2016

Comments

 
This is a very special yellow-eyed penguin. Stitches is one of 'ours' from the 2013/14 season and fledged naturally and survived just fine. But when it came to moulting in February 2015 she was too skinny so she got a wee helping hand from us. 
It wasn't long before she needed help again: in April 2015 she showed us in our colony with a nasty gash on her left thigh and it needed stitching. So we took her off to the St Kilda vets here in Dunedin where Tony and his team stitched her up beautifully - see first photo. The feathers are always quite damaged around a wound like that. After four weeks in rehab, she seemed to have healed nicely and off she went. 
It did not go to plan: a month later we found her in the colony weighing a meagre 3.2kg so back into rehab for a 3 week top-up she went. We were super surprised in a good way to see how well her feathers now covered up her scar - see 2nd photo.
Stitches did not require our assistance again for the next moult and was quite camera-shy but you can see how beautiful she was earlier this year in March when she had just finished moulting. Where her nasty wound was is just a little feather dimple!
Stitches was 2 years old last year but decided not to breed - not surprising with the sort of year she has had. But this year she laid 2 beautiful eggs and they are both fertile! 
We believe that without our presence in the colony we would not have found her starving as a juvenile, bleeding with her wound and starving again - post-traumatic-stress maybe? She is lucky like a cat - 3 lives down, and hopefully many chicks to raise!
Picture
Stitches just before her first release from rehab after her surgery.
Picture
Stitches after her second stay in rehab - note how well her wound is now covered up.
Picture
Stitches has moulted successfully in March 2015 as an adult.
Picture
Here Stitches is proudly incubating her two fertile eggs. She has an experienced mate so hopefully all will go well.
Comments

Diana

16/10/2016

Comments

 
Picture
It has gone quiet in the yellow-eyed penguin colony for now with the breeding pairs busy incubating their eggs. Until we can post cute baby photos of their chicks that are due to start hatching in about 2 weeks, we will introduce you to some of our special penguins - special for different reasons.

This is Diana. She is special because she is a two-year old who has been through our rehab facility as chick (before fledging) and twice as a chick post-fledging (she couldn't work out how to catch a fish but she was clever enough to come home and get a top-up from us) and then a year later as a juvenile through the moult she got another wee top-up. So, lots of help but the ultimate reward came when she laid an egg the other day with her frazzled boy-friend (an experienced older male who had to defend her against the attention of at least 3 others males who also wanted to breed with her!!) 
We were very happy with one egg but a few days later she laid a second egg! (as a two-year old it is unusual for yellow-eyed penguins to lay two eggs: one egg is the norm.)
​

So a toast to Diana, who has defied death at least 4 times in only 2 years of life and broken the 1-egg-laid-by-2-year-old-females rule. May it long last, may these and all future eggs be fertile, her chicks strong, her mate competent and faithful and may she live and breed to a ripe old age (rehab facility just up the hill if required!).

Comments

October 12th, 2016

12/10/2016

Comments

 
Although the yellow-eyed penguins have eggs now and are incubating we wanted to share one more courting video with you. Here a pair is dancing the tango..... Enjoy!
Comments

Sticky bits

9/10/2016

Comments

 
The yellow-eyed penguins might have laid their eggs but nest building continues enthusiastically in the evenings when the mate comes home from fishing and in the morning before s/he goes out to sea. It is rather sweet to watch them on our countless video clips walking to and fro and bringing back bits of vegetation and dropping it at the edge of the nest. The bird on the nest then incorporates it into the bowl while chattering away complimenting their mate on their fine choice of grass. 
Penguins have very, very sharp edges of their beaks to get a good hold on slippery fish and sometimes the grasses get stuck and won't drop easily...... neck contortions are then called for! Enjoy!
Comments

"Flower" delivery - or is it furniture?

6/10/2016

Comments

 
Our trail cameras have recorded the efforts of the hard-working yellow-eyed penguins as they are constructing their nests. This is a particularly industrious pair and they have ended up with a huge nest. Notice how the penguin on the nest chats to the one bringing the gift and incorporates the new grass into the nest straight away. Such devotion!
Comments

Gifts of love

3/10/2016

Comments

 
The courtship of yellow-eyed penguins involves a lot of snogging - as evidenced in the previous posts - but they are also bring their mates gifts - the penguin equivalent of a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers. Nesting material if of course needed for their nest and some pairs build big nest with all the different bits of vegetation that they can find in their surroundings - some are big, some are small, others are huge and bulky! They are very industrious at this time of year trying to impress their mates! Enjoy!
Comments

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
​Te whaka oraka o te takaraka
PENGUIN RESCUE NZ
Moeraki Lighthouse
RD2 Palmerston
North Otago 9842
+64211710832
​www.penguinrescue.nz

Thank you to our sponsors;

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

HAMPDEN COMMUNITY ENERGY

AUSTIN COMPANY
Picture
Hugo Charitable Trust
Picture
Picture
Disclaimer
Picture
  • HOME
  • Watch Live!
  • HOW CAN YOU HELP?
  • DONATE
  • JOIN
  • CONTACT
  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  • LEARN
    • Katiki Pt. Chick Weights 2021/2022
    • Okahau Pt. Chick weights 2021/2022
    • Video Tutorials
    • Yellow-eyed penguin biology
    • Penguin science
    • Rehabilitation
    • Advocacy and reports
    • Visitor impact on penguins
  • NEWS
    • Weekly News
    • Facebook news
    • Facebook archive
  • MEMBERS PAGE