In Nieuw-Zeeland gaan de blauwe pinguïns binnenkort weer op zoek naar nestelgelegenheid:
During the next few months the penguins will start looking for suitable, sheltered sites, typically under houses, in gardens and in dry pipes.
DOC biodiversity ranger Robert Stone said the birds usually started laying eggs in July and would be out hunting for food for their young between September and October.
The birds come ashore along the the region's coastline and are often spotted near Eastbourne and the Miramar Peninsula.
Though there are no definite figures available, a recent department survey counted between 500 and 600 nesting pairs on Somes Island and estimated there could be up to 1200 pairs of blue penguins nesting around Wellington annually.
Mr Stone said the birds, which on average measure only 40 centimetres, were quite adventurous and would walk up to 500 metres from the sea and could climb banks to find good nesting sites. The biggest threat was dogs sniffing into their burrows and pulling them out. DOC was urging people not to let dogs run loose in coastal areas and if they did, to keep a close eye on them.
People living near the sea should also block up any gaps under their houses to stop the birds nesting unless they were prepared for the noise.
"They smell, they regurgitate fish and poop everywhere. They often change shifts between 2am and 4am when they make a hell of a noise. They squawk and scream and bray like a donkey and not all people can put up with it."
(Bron)
Pinguïns zijn leuk, maar vooral als ze niet te dichtbij je huis zitten ;-)
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