Source: Radio New Zealand
Environmental team lead at Ōamaru’s blue penguin colony Henry Elsom attribute the breeding success to decades of conservation efforts and the breeding season starting early. RNZ
It’s been a bumper season for little blue penguins with nearly 1000 chicks fledged at Ōamaru’s blue penguin colony.
That’s up from last year’s 600.
Environmental team lead Henry Elsom told Checkpoint the penguins were looking “fantastic”.
“They all seem to be in really really good conditions, so we are hoping its going to be another great breading season on the cards.”
However, he said a few were looking a bit scruffy because they were going through their molt, meaning they lose all their feathers.
Elsom said the area was often packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse. He attribute the breeding success to decades of conservation efforts and the breeding season starting early.
“There was one pair that really stood out… in a good season these penguins will have multiple broods, we had one pair that was a triple brooder, so they produced six chicks in a season and yeah, we had never seen penguins successfully fledge six chicks.”
He said the breeding season is typically from July through to January.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
