Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony does not discriminate when it comes to the penguins it treats.

Three Fiordland crested penguins have been picked up at the Ōamaru Harbour this month, colony science and environmental manager Dr Philippa Agnew said.

“They’ve turned up to moult and so we bring them in to moult safely, away from cars and dogs.” 

The latest one was picked up on Wednesday night (January 25), from underneath a car on Holmes Wharf.

The penguins are taken into the penguin colony’s rehabilitation facility for monitoring. 

“That involves weighing them at the start and end of the moult, to make sure they have plenty of fat reserves to get them through. 

“Normally they don’t eat while they’re moulting, so we mimic that - even though they are in care we treat them as though they are in the wild,” Dr Agnew said. 

If the birds are acceptable weights when they finish moulting, they are released to head off to sea. If they are underweight, they are fed prior to release to ensure their survival.

It was quite normal for the penguins to “turn up” anywhere along the east coast, in January. Other crested species, such as the Snares and erect-crested penguin have also been known to show up, she said. 

“Earlier this week a member of the public actually found a Snares crested penguin up the coast near Studholme, that we suspect had been bitten by a dog. So we transported it down to the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for treatment,” Dr Agnew said.