Page 28 - 2008 NZ SUB ANTARCTIC ISLANDS - SMARTPHONE

Otherwise, he looks pretty much like all the other penguin species in his smart tuxedo feathering.
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This penguin is the 3 largest of the penguins, after the Emperor and the King, and it stands 30
inches tall and weighs about 14 lbs.

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is considered the rarest penguin in the world and therefore is a species
of great concern to DOC, especially since he is one of the New Zealand endemic birds. He has
been adopted as the mascot for the penguin conservation programs for all New Zealand and is
also the official bird for the town of Dunedin. A mysterious disease killed 60% of the chicks
during 2004 and the pathogen has yet to be identified. This disease did not affect the penguins of
Enderby Island directly but of course it led to the overall decline of the species. Researchers are
continuing their work to determine the cause of the disease. Besides seeking ways to prevent the
recurrence of this disease, DOC concentrates its efforts at protecting this species through
eradication of predators from its breeding and nesting grounds. Enderby Island is another of the
places that DOC has proclaimed predator free at present. However, in other areas which the
yellow-eye inhabits on the mainland, this project has no chance of success since the reserves
cannot be maintained predator free—so the effort is aimed at controlling predation. At present
there are approximately 4000-5000 breeding pairs accounted for by DOC.

The other wildlife treat on Enderby, at the end of our tiring walk, was the “gamming” performed
for us by 5 Gibson’s albatross. So what is “gamming” all about? It is a behavior engaged in
mostly by young albatross who are learning to identify potential mates and to create lasting pair
bonds. The adult albatross who are just beginning to return from their 5-7 years at sea since
fledging swoop about and eye one another. Then two or more may land and examine each other
more closely through patterned and imitative dancing, sky pointing, calling in their braying
voices, soft bill kisses and bill clicking, and then preening one another. Usually the birds in a
“gam” will not be mature enough to breed but they are practicing the skills they will need when
they return in the following year with serious business on their minds. The elaborate courtship
dances will evolve into the behavior that allows the pair bonds to recognize each other every
other year when they return to mate and raise a chick once again.

Our chance to watch the “gamming” involved 5 birds at first, but then one of them decided that
“five is a crowd” so he left the other four to their socializing. There was much spreading of
wings presumably to demonstrate size, dancing in circles to show stamina and strength perhaps,
criss-crossing of bills with one another creating a clicking sound, and pointing their long bills
straight up into the sky. The birds are so brilliantly white and impressive in size against the
beautiful background of the megaherbs covering the rolling ground around them. The activity
was awe-inspiring and curiously uplifting.

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to describe the megaherbs. On this island the major plants
were the yellow bulbinella and the pink-tinged unbellifers, as well as three types of endemic
daisies with colors ranging from pale yellow to white and even mauve. Tiny pipits perched on
the flower spires singing and calling out their territories using these tallest “structures” in the
landscape. The landscape was covered with these beautiful flowers so that whole island
resembled Joseph’s coat of many colors spread out for the albatross to tread upon. The grasses
and tussocks in the tundra areas were also beautiful (except when they were catching at my boots)
in their many shades of green with silvery gray undersides on the shafts. There are 233 different
plants on Enderby Island with 84% of them indigenous. At least 5 plants live only on the
Auckland Island group: two gentians, a buttercup, a fruitless plantain, and the bellicose grass (to
me at least) Poa aucklandia. In addition to the rata trees, another interesting plant is the tree daisy
that grows in among the rata forest at the edges.

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