KEY POINTS:
A penguin may have set a record for long-distance domestic travel after swimming 1300km from Fiordland to Muriwai, in West Auckland.
The Fiordland crested penguin named Mumbles has also been successfully treated by an Auckland veterinarian for blood parasites - something of a medical breakthrough for the species.
A miserable-looking Mumbles was discovered in poor health by a woman walking along the beach about a month ago.
The penguin was taken to SPCA BirdWing in West Auckland and into the hands of bird specialist Lyn MacDonald, who said Mumbles was a bit of a grump at first but was finding his happy feet again after the medical treatment and was eating about 30 freshly caught sprats a day.
"It was a bit dicey whether he would survive ... now he runs like a rocket."
Under her supervision, Mumbles waddles about her backyard showing a real curiosity about the garden items.
As the penguin is moulting, he won't be released until a new waterproof coat of feathers is well established.
Ms MacDonald said a sponsor would have to be found for the penguin's flight back to the South Island. "Mumbles won't be swimming this time."
Department of Conservation technical support officer Dave Houston said Fiordland crested penguins were known to show up in odd places, even in Australia, but Muriwai was the furthest north he was aware of.
In November, a Fiordland crested penguin was washed up at Nora Heads on the New South Wales coast about 2000km from the South Island.
Named Munro, he was transferred to Sydney's Taronga Zoo where it was hoped he would breed with two female penguins, the world's only captive Fiordland crested penguins.
Mr Houston said Mumbles appeared to be a juvenile bird, between one and three years old, and the penguins were known to disperse widely from the breeding grounds in Fiordland and Stewart Island.
Little was known about what the endangered birds did at sea.
"They are quite a mystery although we do know they sometimes have holidays."
A shy and sensitive bird, they did not like being looked at and could be put off breeding by tourist viewing and even DoC surveillance, making them hard to study.
Only about 2000 breeding pairs were left and they were probably in decline because of land-based predators such as stoats and dogs.
The young birds were also susceptible to a blood parasite, spread by sandflies, which could kill them.
Berend Westera, a veterinarian at the Lynfield Veterinary Clinic, said he had identified the leucocytozoon parasites in Mumbles' blood that had left him "pretty depressed and anaemic".
Mr Westera treated Mumbles with a course of antibiotics and was pleased the bird had responded so well.
