Australia
SpeciesField NotesLog inDownload

Field notes

Stay in the loop

Get updates, new features, and Australian birding news.

By subscribing, I agree to receive BirdUp Australia updates, new features, and Australian birding news.

Australia
Download for iOSDownload for AndroidSpeciesField NotesRSSNewsletterBrandPrivacyTerms

BirdUp Australia Pty Ltd © 2026. Made in Australia for Australian birders.

  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Spheniscidae
  4. ›
  5. Eudyptes
  6. ›
  7. Erect-crested Penguin

BirdUp · Species

Erect-crested Penguin

Eudyptes sclateriBuller, 1888

Also known asPokotiwha

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Native
Order
SPHENISCIFORMES
Family
Spheniscidae
Genus
Eudyptes

At a glance

The Erect-crested Penguin, listed as Endangered and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The erect-crested penguin is a penguin endemic to the New Zealand region and only breeds on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands. It has black upper parts, white underparts and a yellow eye stripe and crest. It spends the winter at sea and little is known about its biology and breeding habits. Populations are believed to have declined during the last few decades of the twentieth century, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as being "endangered".

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

  • This species maintains a notably rigid and upright posture on land, standing more vertically than other crested penguins.

plumage

  • The bright yellow crest starts near the corner of the mouth and sweeps up over the eye, ending in stiff, brush-like feathers that stand rigidly upright.

size_and_shape

  • Look for a massive, thick orange-brown bill featuring a prominent line of bare, pinkish-white skin around the base.
  • Note the robust, barrel-chested silhouette and thick neck, which appear noticeably heavier and more bulbous in males.

voice

  • Listen for a series of harsh, rhythmic barks or low-pitched, guttural trumpeting sounds, often emitted during social displays.

03 · When

When to look

When can you see an Erect-crested Penguin?

The Erect-crested Penguin is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

The BirdUp app

Log your next Erect-crested Penguin in the field

A pocket field journal for 850+ Australian birds. Offline-first, smart ID, and a lifelist that travels with you.

Get the appRead field notes
Spotted something wrong on this page? Report incorrect info

02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Erect-crested Penguin live in Australia?

The Erect-crested Penguin is native to Australia, recorded across 3 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Zealand: Bounty and Antipodes Islands

Non-breedingTo waters of east South I. (New Zealand)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant

4 regions recorded