Rare, vagrant to coasts of Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and south coast of Western Australia.
Habitat
Marine, in sub-Antarctic and cool temperate waters around New Zealand, especially Bounty and Antipodes islands. Assumed to be pelagic outside of the breeding season.
Erect-crested Penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) [XC34758]
by id from Antipodes Island, New Zealand (call, calls of birds on rocks by sea)
Erect-crested Penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) [XC34757]
by Frank Lambert from Antipodes Island, New Zealand (call, calls of birds on rocks by sea)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Does not breed in Australia. Breeds mostly on New Zealand sub-Antarctic Islands (October - November).
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Nest
A shallow hollow, rimmed with small stones, sometimes grass and guano, or loose accumulation of mud and debris (Bounty Island), or small pebbles and no vegetable material (Campbell Island), on the ground, on boulder beaches, rocky slopes and in caves. In large colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
2; chalky bluish-white; rounded-oval; first egg averaging 77 x 48 mm, the second being slightly larger, 89 x 57 mm. Incubation: about 35 days; by both sexes. The first egg is usually rejected.
Young
Semi-altricial, semi-nidicolous. Fledge in about 75 days. Probably fed by both parents early on but mostly by female towards the end of the nestling period.
Similar Species
Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus)
Larger. Bill is stouter, and more orange. Supercillium is narrower. Crest is more drooping posteriorly.
Fiordland Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus)
Similar size but can be shorter and dumpier. Bill is shorter but stouter, and orange.
Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
Larger. Bill is longer, more massive and orange. Has very predominent dark-pink skin at the base of bill and at the gape.
Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli)
Larger. Bill is longer, more massive and orange. Has very predominent dark-pink skin at the base of bill and at the gape.
Mostly with Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus), which is shorter, with a stouter, more orange bill, thinner supercillium, and the crest drooping more posteriorly, but also with all other crested penguins, including, Fiordland Penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), which is shorter and dumpier, with a shorter, stouter orange bill, Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome), which is much smaller, with a smaller orange bill, Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli), which are taller, with longer, more massive orange bills and very predominent dark-pink skin at the base and at the gape.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet