Yellow-eyed penguins are easily identifiable among other species because of the yellow color of their eyes. They have a light yellow stripe around each eye that continues and joins in the back of their head. The rest of their dark plumage on the back, wings, and tail is not completely black as in other species, mixed white feathers in those areas give it the appearance of dark brown or dark gray.
Their front from the throat to the legs is fully white, and their legs are pink. Their beak has mixed parts of pink and orange and as their name implies the iris of their eyes are yellow. Newborn chicks look very different; they have light brown plumage and lack the yellow eyes and all the colorful details of the head that adults have.
Yellow-eyed penguins’ main colonies are on Campbell Island, Auckland Island, Stewart Island, South Island of New Zealand and the Otago Peninsula. Colorful plants, trees, and humidity are part of the natural landscape of the Yellow-eyed Penguin.
These penguins are sedentary, and they do not make migratory journeys. They are not as social as other species, so they do not group in crowded colonies; they prefer hiking on their own and dive into the sea individually. The yellow-eyed penguin forages predominantly over the continental shelf between one and sixteen miles offshore, diving to depths of 131 feet to 394 feet and feeding on small fish such as opal fish, red cod, blue cod and kingfish as well as shellfish.
Both partners and their offspring communicate acoustically. They do not show as much bonding as other penguins because of their individual character. They prefer to hide their chicks in natural cavities made by tree trunks or rocks to avoid any disturbance.
Diseases such as avian malaria and other disorders caused by bacteria and parasites, as well as the lack of food as a result of temperature changes in the ocean are their main threats.
Human activities like disturbance due to tourism, forgotten fishing nets, and accidental forest fires are also factors that threaten the Megadyptes antipodes.
Excerpts from: http://www.penguins-world.com/yellow-eyed-penguin/
“The bounties of God’s providence speak to every soul, confirming Christ’s testimony to the supreme goodness of His Father. The Lord would have His people realize that the blessings bestowed upon any object of creation are proportionate to the place that object occupies in the scale of creation. If even the wants of dumb animals are supplied, can we appreciate the blessings which God will bestow upon the beings formed in His image?” Sons and Daughters of God, 139.