[3] Bones of crested penguins (genus Eudyptes) have been recorded from subfossil deposits on main Chatham Island for years.

[2] Based on a comparison of mitochondrial genomes, this species diverged from its closest relative, the erect-crested penguin of the Antipodes Islands, between 1.1 and 2.5 million years ago.

[2] Bones of the Chatham penguin have been identified from various subfossil and archaeological sites on mainland New Zealand, including the Wairarapa, Banks Peninsula, Marlborough, and Paekākāriki areas.

[5] There has been a suggestion, however, the species persisted as recently as the late 19th century, because a crested penguin from the Chathams is recorded as being kept captive for several weeks around 1871 or 1872.

Crested penguin species are in fact regular, possibly even annual, visitors to the Chatham Islands.