AKIPRESS.COM - The remains of a "monster" penguin have been found in New Zealand, according to researchers, Sky News reports.

The new giant species was identified from fossils found in Waipara, North Canterbury.

The bird, Crossvallia waiparensis, would have stood at 1.6m (5.2ft) and weighed up to 12 stone (80kg).

In comparison, the world's tallest living penguin, the Emperor Penguin, stands at 1.2m (4ft) high.

Thought to be one of the world’s oldest known penguin species, the bird dates back to the Paleocene Epoch - around 66 and 56 million years ago.

"The discovery of Crossvallia waiparensis, a monster penguin from the Paleocene Epoch, adds to the list of gigantic, but extinct, New Zealand fauna," a statement on the Canterbury Museum's website said.