Same-sex relationships in the bird world are not unusual, Penguin Place owner Howard McGrouther says.
Two male penguins at the Otago Peninsula tourist attraction are happily raising two chicks after one of the pair's female partner died.
News two female royal northern albatrosses were incubating a chick at Taiaroa Head this season caught public attention.
The chick successfully hatched last month.
Mr McGrouther said it was not unknown for penguins, another threatened species, to have same-sex relationships.
This was first noticed about 15 years ago and the situation proved an advantage when it came to saving abandoned eggs, he said.
The pairs could be used as "foster parents".
Goose eggs were used before the abandoned eggs were placed in their nest.
"It allows us to maximise breeding opportunities. We can save a few, which is important for such a small colony."
The success of the female albatross pairing became worldwide news, with more than 25 websites and news agencies from the United Kingdom, India and Australia reporting the story.
