Fiordland Penguin
Fiordland PenguinFiordland PenguinFiordland PenguinFiordland Penguin

Fiordland Penguin

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Fiordland National Park
134 Verified records at Fiordland National Park
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Fiordland penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), also known as the Fiordland crested penguin (in Māori, tawaki), is a crested penguin species endemic to New Zealand. It currently breeds along the south-western coasts of New Zealand's South Island as well as on Stewart Island/Rakiura and its outlying islands. Because it originally ranged beyond Fiordland, it is sometimes referred to as the New Zealand crested penguin. It is occasionally found in Australia. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiordland Penguin sighting in Fiordland National Park, based on 134 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Fiordland National Park

Little Penguin
LC

Little Penguin

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Eudyptula minor

<5% · Rare
Yellow-eyed Penguin
EN Endemic

Yellow-eyed Penguin

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Megadyptes antipodes

Insufficient data
Adelie Penguin
LC

Adelie Penguin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pygoscelis adeliae

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
5–10
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
10–20
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
2 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
5–10%
3 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
4 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
5 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Fiordland Penguin in Fiordland National Park?

About 8% of wildlife watchers report a Fiordland Penguin sighting in Fiordland National Park, based on 134 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Fiordland Penguin in Fiordland National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Fiordland Penguin in Fiordland National Park in our monthly data.

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