Taronga Zoo's Fiordland Penguin chick. Photo: Supplied / Taronga Zoo
A six-week-old Fiordland Penguin chick is in perfect health and "thriving" at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
The bird was born to experienced parents Munro and Moeraki, and keepers believed it could be a boy.
Senior keeper Lindsay Wright said the new chick was doing well.
The zoo was still considering names, but wanted to name the chick after a place in New Zealand.
The Fiordland Penguin is listed as 'near threatened', with just seven birds in managed care globally.
Taronga's Fiordland Penguin colony includes five rescued birds - four found malnourished on Australian beaches and one transferred from Wellington Zoo in New Zealand.
The new chick would stay in a specially designed nesting area until it naturally shed its soft down feathers and became waterproof enough to have its first swim. It wouldn't be on display to the public during this time.
Taronga Zoo's Fiordland Penguin chick. Photo: Supplied / Taronga Zoo
Moeraki and Munro have now raised two healthy chicks in back-to-back seasons. Wright said Munro has been incredibly protective of his chick.
Fiordland Penguin fathers take long shifts incubating the egg and then stay behind at the nest for several weeks to guard the newly hatched chick while the mother forages for food. Both parents are then on feeding duties.
"He's shown textbook behaviour, from incubation to guarding to feeding. It's inspiring to see such dedicated fathering instincts and a beautiful reminder of the important roles dads play across the animal kingdom."
