- Conservation status
- In serious trouble
Yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) are disappearing before our eyes. They are one of the rarest penguins in the world with just 1,700 pairs remaining.
If nothing is done to reverse current declines, scientists predict they could be extinct on mainland New Zealand within 10-20 years.
Hoiho are shy penguins, hiding their nests in dense vegetation. But their shrill call is attention-grabbing – giving them their te reo Māori name, which means 'noise shouter'.
Campaign Manager
Jamie Martin
The hoiho has faced many challenges, primarily the decline in its breeding populations, which have fallen to 233 breeding pairs in the northern population. This has caused significant damage to its hopes as a species, and as one of the worlds rarest penguins. However, the hoiho has suffered emotional damage too. When winning the BOTY competition in 2019, it was negatively referred to by media outlets as an "antisocial screamer." We think this should be a positive. The hoiho is back for 2022, to represent all the worlds antisocial screamers, win the competition for a second time, and look good doing it. #AntisocialScreamers
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