Deep in the misty fjords of New Zealand’s South Island, a team of researchers is trying to catch one of the world’s most elusive penguins: the forest-dwelling tawaki, or Fiordland crested penguin.For weeks, researchers stand sentry each day over a burrow on Eleanor Island, hoping to corner the female bird so they can retrieve data […]
Tag: penguins
World’s largest penguin colony suffers ‘enormous population crash’
The world’s largest penguin colony has declined by two-thirds since 2011, most likely because of the climate crisis, a study has revealed. Scientists said the rapid demise of chinstrap penguins on Zavodovski, the northernmost of the South Sandwich Islands in Antarctica, increased the risk of a wider ecosystem collapse. Antarctica’s Zavodovski Island is home to […]
“Once they’ve caught their prey it may be shaken violently to ‘deglove’ and they then tear the carcass into pieces small enough to swallow”
With a huge reptile-like head, powerful jaws and a sleek, muscular body, the leopard seal is one of Antarctica’s most formidable apex predators. The third-largest seal species ranking behind elephant seals and walruses, these solitary hunters are capable of tackling penguins and even other seals and can swim at speeds of up to 25mph. What do leopard […]
Petition: Climate Change Pushed Emperor Penguins onto the Endangered Species List
For most of us, when we think of emperor penguins, we think of cute black-and-white birds on ice, waddling, sliding, and cuddling close to one another. They’re the largest species of penguins on Earth, living only in Antarctica. That means they’re reliant on the cold weather that the southern pole provides. Which also explains why […]
“An entire colony of breeding penguins disappeared.” Bird flu is out of control – now it’s reached the Antarctic
On 23rd October 2023, a short press release from the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands reported that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – what we mostly shorten to bird flu – had been detected on the wildlife-rich islands of South Georgia. It was the moment that this deadly form of the virus officially […]
Mass drowning of chicks puts emperor penguins at risk of extinction
The mass drowning of emperor penguin chicks as sea ice is melted by the climate crisis has led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to declare the species officially in danger of extinction. Emperor penguins rely on “fast” ice – sea ice that is firmly attached to the coast – for nine months […]
“It has huge back legs armed with dagger-like claws that can reach 12cm long.” 10 bonkers birds that break the rules of nature
While there are plenty of weird birds to be found in the natural world, this avian selection is particularly extraordinary. From the only bird that hibernates, to the bird that can kick a human to death, here are 10 birds that defy the norms of nature. Birds that break nature’s rules Livingstone’s turaco The bird with metal […]
Ginormous king penguin colony filmed on remote Atlantic island. The sound of it is ear-splitting
The sight of a seemingly endless gaggles of penguins is only one of the mind-boggling elements of an Antarctic voyage. Another is the ear-splitting cacophony of said colony. Although not all of us will be lucky enough to hear this din for ourselves, a recent video taken by adventurer Chris Long brought it to life perfectly. “That’s quite a […]