Order Sphenisciformes
Family Spheniscidae
Genus Eudyptula
Class Aves
Scientific Name
Eudyptula minor
Other Names
Fairy penguin, little blue penguin, blue penguin
Thumbnail Description
- The little penguin is the smallest of all penguins.
- Unlike other penguins, the little penguin has blue flippers.
- Little penguins build the largest colony in New South Wales up to 8,000 breeding pairs.
Size & Weight
HEIGHT: 30 and 33 cm (12 to 13 inches)
WEIGHT: 1.5 kilogram (3.3 pounds)
Habitat
Offshore islands
Range
New Zealand (Chatham Islands), southern Australia (Babel Island), Western Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria
Diet
Arrow squid, red cod, slender sprat, ahuru, Graham’s gudgeon
Number of Eggs
1 – 2 eggs
Eggs Size
Unknown
Breeding Season
July – November
Incubation Period
36 days
Nestling Period
18 – 38 days
Fledging Period
49 – 56 days
Gestation Period
Unknown
Weaning Period
Unknown
Sexual Maturity
(Males) 3 years
(Females) 2 years
Population
350,000-600,000
Diving
DEPTH: 2 meters
TIME: 21 seconds
Lifespan
6.5 years (wild)
25 years (captivity)
Speed
Unknown
Baby Name
Unknown
Home Range
Unknown
Group Size
Unknown
Predators
Cats, dogs, rats, foxes, large reptiles, ferrets, stoats
Behavior
Unknown
Conservation Status
Least Concern
