The Blue Penguin (Korora) and Fiordland Crested Penguin (Tawaki)
The blue penguin is the world’s smallest penguin at just 35-43cm tall, and weighs a little over 1kg. It is found in many places around New Zealand and Australia and is a protected native species.
The second penguin on the West Coast is the Fiordland crested penguin or tawaki, which is listed as Nationally Endangered and is likely to be the second rarest penguin in the world and probably the most enigmatic and least understood. Read more about our tawaki project here.
The blue penguin population is declining throughout New Zealand. On the West Coast it is estimated blue penguins only number in the high hundreds to low thousands. Blue penguins need our protection from coastal development, predators, dogs and traffic and we’re working on these issues with your help … and you can help right now with a donation: 
Blue penguin annual life cycle
The West Coast Penguin Trust
The West Coast Penguin Trust is a charitable trust. Its aim is to conserve the blue penguins, Fiordland crested penguins, other threatened seabirds and their habitat on the West Coast. The Trust raises funds, conducts research and implements practical projects relating to penguins in particular, as well as to other birds subject to similar threats.
Latest news
December 31st, 2018
The West Coast Penguin Trust is delighted and hugely proud to share the news that our Chair and Scientist, Kerry-Jayne Wilson, has been awarded MNZM - Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit - in the New Year’s Honours for services to seabird conservation.
“No one achieves anything alone - seabird work is a very collegial environment. I work with the West Coast Penguin Trust, the Australasian Seabird Group and many other colleagues” she said. Read more
October 16th, 2018
The West Coast Penguin Trust presented the “Community Conservation Symposium - How, what and why for conservation on the West Coast” on 14-15 June 2018. With 119 participants for the conference day and 65 joining field trips on day two, numbers were much greater than expected and the whole event was a huge success.
September 11th, 2018
Dogs and their owners are being invited to participate in penguin and weka avoidance training in Hokitika as a part of Conservation Week on the 22 and 23 September.
September 7th, 2018
The Great Annual Blue Penguin Count, 10-15 October this year, is fun, hugely useful and a great way to get involved!
August 31st, 2018
We are celebrating with The Tawaki Project the release of a research paper reporting the marathon swims made by Fiordland crested penguins (tawaki) after raising chicks and before returning to moult.
June 7th, 2018
West Coast Penguin Trust Ranger, Lucy Waller, makes the case for penguins, loving them, conserving them and presenting them to children as a gateway to more conservation conversations.
May 31st, 2018
The Trust produces an Annual Report to update supporters and sponsors about all the work we do. From penguins to petrels and trapping to tamariki, in the year to 31st March 2018 we have been busy!
May 30th, 2018
There are three field trips on offer on Friday 15th June as part of the Community Conservation Symposium, with a choice of morning trips to Cobden (restoration project and trapping workshop) or to Moonlight (kiwi crèche) and, in the afternoon, up the Coast Road to discover a variety of community conservation projects.
Read more
May 9th, 2018
We are delighted and excited to have a fantastic line up of speakers for the Community Conservation Symposium on 14th June at Shantytown and would like to introduce the first three.
April 29th, 2018
The West Coast Penguin Trust’s four-year study of the threats predators pose to Fiordland crested penguins (tawaki) concludes that control of stoats appears to be required in some years, in some colonies. Read more
» Read older news
| Family | Spheniscidae |
| Maori Name | Korora |
| Scientific Name | Eudyptula minor |
| Common Names | Little Penguin, Blue Penguin, Little Blue Penguin, Fairy Penguin |
| Colour | Slate blue plumage; white chin, throat and shirt front; blue-grey flippers |
| Standing height | 35-43cm |
| Flipper length | 11-13cm |
| Weight | Avg. 1100-1200g |
| Breeding range | New Zealand, Chatham Islands, Southern Australia |
Brief introduction to the work of the Trust
Brief video updating the work of the Trust for the Leading Light Awards, 2015
VIMEO CHANNEL - for penguin videos
