10 Amazing Facts about Little Penguins

True to their name, Little Penguins are small in size. They are no less fascinating, however! Little Penguins are homebodies that love seafood! They are great divers, swimmers, and parents! After reading these 10 facts, you’ll be booking a flight to Australia to check out these little fellas!

10 Amazing Facts about Little Penguins

1. The Little Penguin is a little penguin!

As you may have guessed given its name, the Little Penguin is the smallest penguin out there! It’s only about 40-45 cm tall and weighs up to 2.1 kg. That’s a tiny penguin!

2. The Little Penguin is easily identified by its short tail.

Little Penguins have very short tails and blue-grey feathers. They have white bellies and a white strip of feathers trailing down their wings. They also have dark grey bills and light pink feet.

3. Little Penguins live in New Zealand and Australia.

These penguins live in New Zealand and Australia, where the water is temperate. They like to nest on sandy or rocky islands, in sand dunes, or at the base of cliffs.

4. Little Penguins stay close to home!

Little Penguins don’t move around much, staying close to their breeding colonies. They rarely leave the coastal waters, unless they have to for food.

5. The Little Penguin likes seafood.

These penguins like a wide variety of fish, including anchovy, pilchard, whitebait, red squids, and the occasional crustacean. They catch their fish by diving!

6. Little Penguins are excellent divers.

In deeper waters, Little Penguins will circle schools of fish before diving after their prey. In shallower waters, they will pursue the fish directly. Little Penguins usually dive about 50 meters.

7. The Little Penguin is a night talker.

The Little Penguin colonies are very noisy at night. They make all sorts of sounds, including trills, braying, growls, grunts, yelping, trumpeting, and wailing noises!

8. Little Penguins lay eggs throughout the year.

These penguins lay eggs mostly during July through December, although they have been recorded to be breeding in all months of the year. Do you think it’s because they are home so much?

9. The Little Penguin line their nests with plants.

Little Penguins make their nests out of all sorts of places, such as burrows in the sand, natural hollows, under thick vegetation, or under human-built structures. They line these areas with plants, where they lay two eggs, which are taken care of by both parents.

10. Little Penguins are not globally threatened!

There are lots of Little Penguins, so scientists aren’t worried about them going extinct. However, their numbers are thought to be declining, mostly due to human interference in their habitat.

Ornithology

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