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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing yellow-eyed penguins. These are considered some of the rarest penguins in the world. As of this recording there are believed to be fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs of yellow-eyed penguins. These birds get their common name from the pale yellow eyes in adults as well as the yellow band of feathers around their head and eyes. Yellow-eyed penguins stand over two feet (61cm) tall and weigh between 11 and 20 pounds (5-9kg) depending on the time of year. This makes them some of the largest living non-Antarctic penguins. 

Yellow-eyed penguins live in New Zealand. They inhabit coastal forests and are considered mostly terrestrial because they don't spend long periods of time at sea. Even during the winter when they aren't breeding, yellow-eyed penguins may spend just a few days exploring the ocean for food. Winter is when yellow-eyed penguins weigh the most. They have to pack on the pounds before their annual molt, during which they lose their feathers and can't swim! These birds eat fish, especially cod, as well as squid when they get the opportunity. They regularly dive as deep as 425 feet (130m), but they've been documented diving slightly deeper. They remain close to shore while they hunt, remaining within a few miles of the coast. Yellow-eyed penguins are predated by sea lions and sharks, and they also fall victim to human activities. Nest disturbance, reduction of habitat, accidental catch in gillnets, and introduced animals like dogs, cats, and ferrets, all play a role in the decline of yellow-eyed penguins populations. 

Unlike other penguin species, yellow-eyed penguins aren't considered colonial. While they do nest in relatively close proximity with each other, nests are built in dense foliage where they often cannot be seen. Instead, these birds are more likely to be heard in their nesting spots. Yellow-eyed penguins have a single mate throughout the breeding season which roughly lasts from August to March. This is considered one of the longest penguin breeding seasons. Male heads may appear slightly more yellow than females and they're a bit larger. A female lays two full size eyes and both parents alternate incubating them for almost two months. For their first six weeks of life, yellow-eyed penguin chicks are brooded by their parents until they have enough feathers to keep them warm on their own. They head off on their own by the time they're 100 days old. 

Yellow-eyed penguin chicks can be told apart from the adults because they haven't yet developed their yellow eyes! When they do reach adulthood, they don't travel far from where they were born. Yellow-eyed penguins don't migrate and prefer to stay in the same place throughout their lives. It takes two to five years for the young to reach reproductive maturity and many don't survive their first year of life. On average, yellow-eyed penguins live to ten to twenty years, though the oldest recorded individuals were over thirty! Sadly, these birds are endangered to extinction.

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