The Fiordland Penguins Marathon
Fiordland or tawaki penguins are one of the rarest species that exist. These crested birds live in New Zealand and have been little studied by science, so the latest discoveries about them are incredible.
Tawaki penguins migrate at a strange time, when there is plenty of food in their home region, the South Island of New Zealand. Researchers suspect this may be due to kinship with penguins near the Arctic, where these migrations are more normal.
In fact, if these animals were to reproduce further north, it would not be possible to make this spectacular migration that the University of Otago was willing to study through the use of transmitters.
The placement of 10 devices in adult males and females allowed us to know the route of these animals.
The penguins that run a marathon
The data discovered by the group of researchers were incredible: the penguins of this species traveled between 3,500 and 6,800 km away. The 69-day migration is one of the longest ever seen in penguins, forcing them to swim up to 80 kilometers a day.
Penguins migrate to southern Tasmania to take this incredible journey, which pushes the swimming ability of these migratory birds to the limit.
Some males take longer to make the return journey, probably due to the care of their young.
Meet the Fiordland penguins
This crested penguin species is undoubtedly amazing because we are talking about medium sized animals with a yellow crest, although the body is similar to that of any other penguin. These animals do not usually exceed six kilos.
Their diet is based mainly on cephalopods, and the consumption of squid is the most common among penguins of this species.
However, the Fiordland penguin also feeds on crustaceans, such as krill , and rarely consumes fish, curious as it may seem. Only 2% of their diet is based on fish.
an endangered species
These animals are not in danger of extinction, although they are considered a vulnerable species, a category close to threatened species. Therefore, it is necessary to protect them.
In the 1990s there were 2,500 couples, and although we do not have an updated census, there are suspicions that the population continues to decline.
As with other penguin species, fishing, climate change and pollution are some of the biggest threats to this rare species.
Researchers warn of the need to protect these animals before their incredible journeys become the last for these penguins.
