Skip to main content

Story: Ecoregions

Royal penguin

Image
Royal penguin

This royal penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) is walking along a stream bed that flows through megaherbs and tussock on Macquarie Island. The island has no woody species. Although the island is administered by Australia, its plants and animals have close connections with those of New Zealand’s subantarctic islands. The climate of these southern islands is windy and cloudy, with persistent light rain and very little sunshine.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10029444

by L. V. Sanson

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Matt McGlone, Ecoregions – The southern islands, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12596/royal-penguin (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Matt McGlone, published 1 March 2009.