Tawaki Project

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Tawaki Project

The Tawaki Project works towards unraveling the mysteries of the world's least known penguin species - New Zealand's crested penguins or tawaki.

The Fiordland penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) or tawaki is believed to be one of the rarest penguins worldwide. It is one of six crested penguin species (Eudyptes spp.), a group that has experienced significant population declines in the past decades. Climate change and associated reduction of oceanic productivity are likely an important determinant of population sizes in eudyptids. However, unlike most of its congener species that inhabit truly offshore, pelagic environment of the subantarctic regions, tawaki live and breed along the temperate, inshore southwest coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Compared to little and yellow-eyed penguins that also inhabit the New Zealand mainland, tawaki has a breeding range that is spatially restricted. It stretches from Haretaniwha Point, southern central West coast to Port Pegasus on Stewart Island – a mere 500 km of coastline. Yet, the species occupies a very diverse marine environment, probably the most diverse of all New Zealand penguin species. Along the West coast region (Haretaniwha Point to Martins Bay) diet studies suggest that penguins forage over the continental shelf (water depths 1000 m within 3 km from land. Finally, Solander, Codfish and Stewart Islands in the species’ southernmost ranges are located in shallow waters often less than 50 m deep, which the penguins may prefer to forage in as a diet study from the 1990s suggest. As a marine forager, tawaki have to adopt their at-sea behaviour to the local conditions. Considering the diversity of their marine habitat it is reasonable to assume that their foraging strategies will differ between sites. This in turn means that to fully understand how tawaki interact with their marine environment it is necessary to examine the plasticity of the penguins’ foraging behaviour across the different habitats. For an animal that spends more than 80% of its life at sea, foraging is obviously a critically important aspect of its ecology. The penguins’ access to adequate marine resources particularly during the chick rearing phase plays a significant role for population regulation. Yet we know next to nothing about tawaki’s marine ecology, their foraging ranges, which prey species they consume and at which water depths they forage. Critical information is missing to assess how human activities might impact on tawaki, be it ongoing climate change, fisheries activities or pollution of the marine habitat with mining effluents or oil-leaks. This project will address the key aspects of tawaki’s marine ecology. We will

- examine their foraging strategies across the different marine environments they inhabit
- study the spatial distribution of their diving activities to determine whether there are specific hot spots at sea,
- investigate which marine and terrestrial aspects affect the species’ population dynamics

06/10/2026

Female tawaki chilling outside her lair after feeding her chick, Rolla Island, Patea/Doubtful Sound.

05/10/2026

The tawaki breeding season is progressing in what is, frankly, a strange year for the penguins.

At most sites we visited in Fiordland over the past three weeks, breeding started very late, with some pairs still incubating eggs in early October, which normally sees the onset of the post-guard or crèche stage. Across the board, tawaki are 3–4 weeks behind what we've observed in previous seasons.

At the same time, breeding seems to be going just fine: chicks are in good nick and a healthy number of two-chick nests are still going (crested penguins generally only raise one chick). Male tawaki roam the forest looking for water while the females return early in the afternoon to feed the chicks.

So there are no obvious signs of a bad season, just a late one. Why? We don't know yet. Could El Niño have something to do with it? Perhaps, but it only started to develop after the birds returned to NZ to breed. We'll need to look at ocean conditions south of Australia over the winter for clues as to why the penguins got down to business so late this year. That is, once we're back from the field... 🏔️🌳🐧🌊

29/09/2026

Meanwhile on the Antipodes Islands we have our first united Erect-crested penguin pair of the season confirmed! 🐧🐧

The pair circled in red are allopreening, one of the key behaviours we look for to confirm a reunited breeding pair (rather than just two birds standing nearby). One quick-eyed viewer spotted it correctly and has won a Tawaki Project t-shirt.

A quick apology for the delayed post - we were out doing fieldwork and only just got a chance to review submissions. The sighting itself happened on 23 September.

The competition rolls on: next up is the first egg. Watch live anytime: https://tawaki.cam

27/09/2026

As October approaches, it's clear that this year's tawaki breeding season is unusually late. Most forest nests have very small chicks, and a few still have eggs. This at a time when chicks would normally be starting to crèche. We don't know what caused the late start, but it makes our planned GPS tracking work a lot more difficult, as we don't want to disturb nests with very young chicks. So we're still searching for suitable nests, although our options here in Charles Sound are limited. At least breeding success seems good so far, with quite a few two-chick nests still around (tawaki usually raise only one chick).

24/09/2026

We timed it perfectly: on the one day it wasn't raining in Fiordland, we visited the Shelter Islands in Patea / Doubtful Sound to check almost 90 marked tawaki nests. Most nests were occupied by breeding birds, many of them brooding small chicks or even still sitting on eggs. Clearly they had a late start to the season. But overall it was pretty lively on the islands, with quite a few birds outside their burrows getting some fresh air.

18/09/2026

Rainy days in Fiordland mean ideal penguineering conditions. Our team travelled from Dunedin to Manapouri, then joined long-time partners Fiordland Expeditions aboard the newly refurbished Tutoko for the first push down Doubtful Sound this season.

First stop: Seymour Island, for nest checks in the dripping wet forest. Most burrows held chicks 1-2 weeks old. And after a dip over the past two seasons, occupancy is climbing again, a welcome sign despite the looming El Niño.

Muddy, happy, and back in the field. More from the Tutoko soon.

09/09/2026

Big moment this week: the first Erect-crested penguin of the season is back on the platform! And thanks to one very quick-eyed viewer who reported it just 15 minutes after it appeared, we already have our first competition winner. Their Tawaki Project t-shirt is on its way.

The competition isn't over, though — next up is the first pair reuniting. Keep the stream open, keep an eye on that corner badge, and you could be the next winner. Watch live anytime: https://tawaki.cam

08/09/2026

The first Erect-crested penguin of the season is due back on Antipodes Island any day now. And we want you to help us catch the moment. Be the first to spot a penguin on the live stream on https://tawaki.cam and hit the "Report the 1st Penguin!" button, and you'll win a Tawaki Project T-shirt.

Quick heads up too: you may have noticed the stream dropping in and out lately. We've traced it to our satellite terminal on the island playing up (not the battery or solar system, which are running perfectly). The proper fix needs an in-person visit, so that's booked in for December. Until then, expect the odd dropout. Thanks for bearing with us!

Keep those eyes peeled 👀

08/07/2026

16/04/2026

The 2025/26 Expedition Report is out! 🐧

From late November through to late February, the Tawaki Project team sailed to two of the most remote islands on the planet - the Bounty Islands and Antipodes Island - to study Erect-crested and Eastern Rockhopper penguins. Nearly three months in the subantarctic, tracking foraging trips, counting chicks, flying drones over colonies, and collecting samples. Tough, wild, and absolutely worth it.

The full report: https://bit.ly/bounty-antips-2025-26

Address

Department Of Zoology, University Of Otago, 340 Great King Street
Dunedin
9016

Website

https://www.tawaki-project.org/

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