How big is a Yellow-eyed Penguin?

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is a huge sized bird weighing about 5.3 kg.

Where can you see a Yellow-eyed Penguin?

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is endemic to New Zealand, which is the only country where it occurs.

What birds look similar to a Yellow-eyed Penguin?

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is most easily confused with the Western Rockhopper Penguin, the Macaroni Penguin and the Gentoo Penguin.

Is the Yellow-eyed Penguin endangered?

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Megadyptes antipodes

Penguins · Sphenisciformes · Rare

The Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) is a rare penguin found only in New Zealand, weighing about 5.3 kg. The yellow-eyed penguin, known also as hoiho, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand.

EndangeredRareEndemicEats fishmarineplatform nest5.3 kg

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 1 — Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl · CC BY 2.5

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 2 — Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl · CC BY 2.5

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 3 — Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ · CC0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 4 — Photo: Ville Miettinen from Helsinki, Finland · CC BY 2.0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 5 — Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · CC0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 6 — Photo: Matthias Klappenbach · CC BY 2.0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 7 — Photo: Mike Goren from New York · CC BY 2.0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 8 — Photo: Richard Giddins from London, UK · CC BY 2.0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 9 — Photo: Richard Giddins from London, UK · CC BY 2.0

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), photo 10 — Photo: Auckland Museum Collections from Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand · CC BY 2.0

About the Yellow-eyed Penguin

The yellow-eyed penguin, known also as hoiho, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand. It is the sole extant species in the genus Megadyptes, from Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas), meaning "large", and δύπτης (dúptes), meaning "diver".

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The yellow-eyed penguin (M. a. antipodes) is most easily identified by the band of pale yellow feathers surrounding its eyes and encircling the back of its head. Its forehead, crown and the sides of its face are slate grey flecked with golden yellow. Its eye is yellow. The foreneck and sides of the head are light brown. The back and tail are slate blue-black. Its chest, stomach, thighs and the underside of its flippers are white in colour. Juvenile birds have a greyer head with no yellow band around their eyes.

Where it lives

New Zealand

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Yellow-eyed Penguin?: The yellow-eyed penguin (M. a. antipodes) is most easily identified by the band of pale yellow feathers surrounding its eyes and encircling the back of its head. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Yellow-eyed Penguin?: The Yellow-eyed Penguin is a huge sized bird weighing about 5.3 kg.
Where can you see a Yellow-eyed Penguin?: The Yellow-eyed Penguin is endemic to New Zealand, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Yellow-eyed Penguin?: The Yellow-eyed Penguin is most easily confused with the Western Rockhopper Penguin, the Macaroni Penguin and the Gentoo Penguin.
Is the Yellow-eyed Penguin endangered?: The Yellow-eyed Penguin is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Yellow-eyed Penguin for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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