National Geographic Kids USA - September 2017

OF A FEATHER

A TAWAKI STANDS

GUARD IN FRONT

OF ITS CAVE NEST.

ARM-WEATHER

EATHERS

addling across an ice-covered

colony? No thanks! Tempera-

tures in the temperate (that

means mild) rain forests of

southwest New Zealand can

hit a toasty 70°F. That’s why

tawakis can be smaller —they

don’t need to hold in as much

body heat as larger birds such

s Antarctic penguins. Many

enguins that live on the ice

o have heavy plumage: “Unlike

kis, penguins such as Adélies

ke feathers with a beak stick-

t,” Mattern says.

SUPER SWIMMERS

All penguins log lots of time in the

water. But tawakis spend so much

time in the ocean that creatures

called barnacles—tiny, sticky

crustaceans that typically latch

on to whales—sometimes attach

themselves to tawakis’ tails too!

NSometimes referred to as the

f the penguin world, tawakis are

eir wild look and sound. They

ctive yellow streak of feathers

st” over each eye. The birds

eir crests—like rock stars

hair onstage—to show off their

potential mates. Tawakis also

tive voices, just like your favorite

e other penguins, they sound like

keys and make honking noises to

eatsea.

ULDER Other crested penguin species such

ed with their nests squeezed close together in

nds, but tawakis lay their eggs in isolated caves,

umps. The birds aren’t just being unfriendly.

in New Zealand,” Mattern says. “That’s one

s like to be tucked away.” Secretive spots also

n from humans, who used to hunt the birds for

s that remained hidden survived. No wonder

y out of sight!

RANGE ROVERS When it comes time to search for

food, many penguins hunt as far as 40 miles from their nest.

Not tawakis. “Some tawakis I’ve observed have stayed within a

radius of just two miles from their home,” says Thomas Mattern,

a researcher with the Tawaki Penguin Project. Climate change

is forcing these birds to travel farther from shore, however, as

warmer water means less prey. Luckily the adult birds are up for

a longer trip: “Tawakis can be very adaptable to local conditions,”

Mattern says.

THEY CAN’T FLY.

Those little wings aren’t for

liftoff. Penguins’ f lippers are

for powering through water.

THEY LOSE ALL THEIR

FEATHERS AT ONCE.

Called “catastrophic molting,”

most penguins shed all of their

feathers at the same time once

a year, unlike many other birds,

which only molt a few feathers

at a time. The waterproof

feathers protect the penguins

from chilly water, so they stay

on land until their feathers

grow back after a few weeks.

THEY SNEEZE SALTWATER.

When they’re gulping down fish,

penguins swallow alotof sea-

water. But a special gland above

their eyes lets them filter out

excess salt through their beaks

by sneezing.

Tawakis aren’t always rebel-

lious. Sometimes they act like,

well, other penguins. Here’s

how they’re similar.

Birds

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WA

FE

Wa

c t m s h t d b

as

pe

also

tawa

look li

ing ou

ROCK O

rock stars of

known for th

have a distinc

called a “cres

can shake the

shake theirh

plumage top

have distinct

singer. Unlike

brayingdonk

communicate

COLD SHOU
as rockhoppersbre
colonies ofthousan
bushes, and tree stu
“We get lots of rain
reason why tawakis
provided protection
meat. Onlythebird
tawakis like to stay