Hoiho

Meet the hoiho, also called the yellow-eyed penguin. This rare seabird lives only in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its Māori name means "noise shouter", because hoiho call with a sharp, loud voice near their nests.

A hoiho stands about as tall as a school ruler stack — roughly half a metre to three-quarters of a metre — and weighs about as much as a big house cat. Look for pale yellow eyes and a soft yellow band of feathers that runs from each eye around the back of the head. The back is slate-grey or blue-grey, and the belly is white.

Unlike many penguins that crowd into huge colonies, hoiho often nest quietly in pairs. They walk inland into coastal forest, scrub or dunes and build a shallow nest of twigs, grass and leaves. Mum and dad take turns keeping one or two eggs warm for about six weeks, then feed the chicks for months while diving for fish and squid at sea.

Hoiho are one of the rarest penguins in the world. On the IUCN Red List they are Endangered, and in New Zealand they are Nationally Endangered. Dogs, introduced predators, disease, busy beaches, warmer seas and fishing nets all make life harder. Looking after quiet nesting places and healthy coastal seas helps these yellow-eyed friends stay part of Aotearoa's wild family.