New research indicates that the population of the Fiordland crested penguin, also known as tawaki, is approximately three times larger than earlier surveys suggested. The Tawaki Project, a scientific initiative, has mapped 1,200 nests across nine fjords in New Zealand's Fiordland over the past 12 years.
Researchers from the University of Otago, who founded the project in 2014, are conducting long-term population counts to understand the bird's breeding and foraging habits, and potential threats. The tawaki, which stands half a metre tall and has prominent yellow eyebrows, is unique for nesting exclusively in dense rainforests, often at high elevations.
Despite an abundance of food near their breeding areas, tawaki undertake a 5,000 to 7,000km return journey to the sub-Antarctic region to feed before their annual moult. This behaviour is believed to be an ancient instinct, leading them to grounds where other crested penguin species feed.
In 2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List reclassified tawaki from "vulnerable" to "near-threatened" due to a clearer understanding of their population, estimated at 12,000 to 15,000 mature birds. However, risks such as commercial fishing practices remain, and researchers are monitoring survival rates to determine population stability.