Preening Yellow-eyed Penguins, New Zealand

After returning from sea at dusk, a pair of yellow-eyed penguins ascend the coastal cliff for shelter from the battering waves. Their quiet ritual of mutual preening helps reinforce pair bonds, as well as conditioning their feathers with preen oil from a gland found at the tip of their tails.

Despite rigorous conservation efforts, the endangered yellow-eyed penguin has dwindled to a mere 166 breeding pairs on the mainland of New Zealand.

Ongoing threats persist from both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, consisting of overfishing, bycatch in fishing nets, destruction of the sea floor via bottom-trawling, disease, loss of habitat on land, and climate change.

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox

Filename: Preening Yellow-eyed Penguins_H7C5724.jpg
Copyright: Kimball Chen
Image Size: 5302x3535 / 16.0MB; www.keaphotography.org; www.keaphotography.org; endangered yellow-eyed penguin penguin wildlife bird cliff ocean coast coastal South Island New Zealand long-exposure preen allopreen pair bond
Contained in galleries: Yellow-eyed Penguin Pictures - Photos, Endangered Species

After returning from sea at dusk, a pair of yellow-eyed penguins ascend the coastal cliff for shelter from the battering waves. Their quiet ritual of mutual preening helps reinforce pair bonds, as well as conditioning their feathers with preen oil from a gland found at the tip of their tails.<br />
<br />
Despite rigorous conservation efforts, the endangered yellow-eyed penguin has dwindled to a mere 166 breeding pairs on the mainland of New Zealand.<br />
<br />
Ongoing threats persist from both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, consisting of overfishing, bycatch in fishing nets, destruction of the sea floor via bottom-trawling, disease, loss of habitat on land, and climate change.