New Delhi: The Hoiho, a rare penguin species with a strong odour and yellow eyes, has been named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year for the second time in under ten years. This timid bird is known as the “noise shouter” in the Maori language. It is believed to be the rarest penguin in the world and the largest of its kind in New Zealand. There is hope that the bird’s victory might help bring attention to the endangered species and lead to its recovery.
The yellow-eyed penguins with distinct pale yellow feathers live in parts of New Zealand’s South and Chatham islands and the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands. Let us meet the Hoiho bird.
Hoiho Birds/Yellow-eyed Penguin
The yellow-eyed penguin, also known as hoiho, is one of the rarest penguins found only in New Zealand. The hoiho penguin is not very social and likes to nest away from other penguins. It relies on marine and land environments for nesting, resting, roosting, and finding food.
Population
There are two populations of hoiho penguins in New Zealand. Over the past 20 years, the northern population has declined by 65 per cent, while the status of the southern population is not well documented. The decline in the northern population was due to poor breeding seasons caused by a lack of food, disease, and predators. The southern population on the Auckland Islands has had stable estimates. Still, there is limited research and monitoring on the Auckland and Campbell Islands due to their distance from the mainland.
Restoring Hoiho
In 2020, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and its partners released a new recovery strategy and action plan to restore the hoiho, also known as the yellow-eyed penguin. The hoiho faces various threats like disease, predators, human disturbance, and habitat quality. Efforts include predator control, monitoring nests, and treating diseases and injuries.
The decline in the hoiho population is due to human disturbance, introduced and natural predators, habitat quality, the health of the seas, and fishing.
Human disturbance threatens nesting and moulting birds, affecting their survival and ability to breed. Introduced predators like stoats and ferrets pose a risk to hoiho chicks, while dogs can threaten hoiho during the moulting period. Hoiho’s natural predators include sharks, sea lions and seals.
Quick Facts
Yellow-eyed Penguins have pale yellow heads, pale yellow eyes, dark grey backs and outer flippers.
They forage 2 to 25 km offshore, diving to depths 40 to 120 metres.
They are relatively solitary during breeding, with pairs forming long-term partnerships and nesting out of sight of each other.
They lay two eggs in September, which hatch after 39 to 51 days of incubation.
The parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding at sea, and the offspring fledges in February.
Fascinating history and impact of the Bird of the Year
The bird of the Year competition began in 2005 to raise awareness about New Zealand’s native birds. Many of these birds are threatened by pests, human activity, and habitat loss. The competition has faced issues, including the controversial crowning of a bat as the winner in 2021 and allegations of foreign interference. This year’s competition received over 52,000 verified votes, a significant decrease from last year’s event, which attracted 350,000 votes from 195 countries.
A rare penguin has been named New Zealand’s bird of the year. The competition was calm and without issues. With only 4,000 to 5,000 remaining, this species is threatened by disease, predation, and food shortages. Conservationists hope this victory raises awareness of the urgent need for protection and marine sanctuaries. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
