Abundance (Guide)
Estimated population, about 70,000.
Habitat
Cool temperate and sub-Antarctic waters around the only breeding site, Snares Island. During breeding season mainly found near the coast. Assumed to be pelagic outside the breeding season.
Food
Mostly crustaceans, especially euphausiids, some cephelopods but rarely fish, taken by pursuit-diving. Usually seen in small flocks with breeding congregations of Buller's Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri), Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea), Cape Petrel (Daption capense), diving-petrels, Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae) are Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata).
Voice
Persistent, loud, harsh and low-pitched calls. Calls throughout the day, peaking at dusk, less often at night.
Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus) [XC396184]
by Frank Lambert from Snares Island, New Zealand (call)
Snares Penguin (Eudyptes robustus) [XC34713]
by from Snares Island, New Zealand (call)
Nest
A shallow cup, sometims raised on a platform, lined with twigs, small branches, vegetable matter and mud, or of granite chips, fish and bone, with little soil or vegetable matter (Western Chain), on the ground, in flat muddy areas under forest or in the open, also on rock ledges and platforms, usually sheltered by trees, shrubs or rock falls, but sometimes exposed. In small to medium sized colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
2, but occasionally 1; matt, chalky, pale blue-grey becoming stained; short-oval to oval; about 67 x 51 mm for the first egg, and about 72 x 56 mm for the second. Incubation: 31 - 37 days; by both sexes. The eggs are incubated in the brood patch on the lower abdomen.
Young
Semi-altricial, semi-nidicolous. Fledge in about 75 days. Fed by both parents but mostly by female.
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