These pint-sized birds are full of personality…
Though these penguins may be small, Eudyptula minor possess remarkable resilience and adaptability, thriving in the harsh conditions of Antarctica.
How to identify the little penguin
The colour of the little penguin’s back, tail and upper head varies from a deep blue to a greyish-blue depending on the subspecies, the light, and if wet or dry.
The chin and front are white and their eyes are also grey-blue with a darkish beak and pale pink feet with black soles.
The juveniles are similar to the adults, whereas the chicks are greyish-brown and white.
Where do little penguins live?
Although there are several colonies dotted around the southern coast of Australia, the majority of little penguins are found on small islands off the coast of Tasmania.
Are little penguins nocturnal?
Yes, they are the only penguin that is truly nocturnal on land, as the adults come to shore after dusk and leave before dawn.
Are they also known as fairy penguins?
The little penguin is aptly named as it is the smallest of all the penguin species, and in Australia it is affectionately known as the fairy penguin. Other names include the little blue penguin or even just the blue penguin, because of its bluish back.
What are the breeding habits of little penguins?
Little penguins are unusual in that, providing conditions are good, they can raise two, and very rarely three, clutches during a single breeding season. They nest in burrows, crevices, caves or under vegetation in small colonies.
Breeding typically starts in late July but varies with location, and the duration depends upon the number of clutches. Two eggs are laid in each clutch, usually a few days apart, but hatch at around the same time and both chicks are then raised. They are brooded and provisioned alternately by both parents for the first three weeks.
The chicks are then left alone in the burrow during daytime foraging trips, with the adults leaving at dawn and not returning until after sunset. The chicks typically fledge after seven to nine weeks.
What do little penguins eat?
Little penguins eat mainly small fish, including sprat, pilchards and anchovies, and also squid.
Which animals are their predators?
The small size of the little penguin makes the adult birds, as well as the eggs and chicks, vulnerable to attack from a wide range of both aerial and land based predators. These include large gulls, corvids, and introduced dogs, foxes, feral cats, stoats and ferrets, to name but a few.
On Tasmania, quolls and Tasmanian Devils increase the death toll further, while at sea the penguins are predated by various sharks, sea lions and fur seals.
What are the main threats to little penguins?
Many colonies of little penguins are close to human habitation and so are severely threatened by human disturbance, including loss of habitat for development, gillnet fishing and oil spills.
They may also be killed and injured on roads and by watercraft.
Climate change is also a major concern, as warming ocean temperatures threaten food supplies and increasing land temperatures can cause fatal overheating in adults and chicks. This is particularly a problem where nests are in vegetation rather than burrows or caves, and the provision of nest boxes has proved successful in some areas.
Both Australia and New Zealand have designated the little penguin a fully protected species to help minimise direct human impacts, although the challenge of global warming will be rather more difficult to address.
How big are little penguins?
30–40cm (11.8–15.7in), 1–1.5kg (2.2–3.3lb) depending on time of year and gender.
How many little penguins are there?
Around 469,760 mature individuals and stable.
What’s their conservation status?
Least Concern (IUCN Red List 2020).
Wildlife photographer Ursula Clare Franklin’s new book, Mission Penguin, chronicles her journey to capture all 18 penguin species worldwide, from the Galapagos to Antarctica. Available from 24th October, published by Bloomsbury Wildlife.