Scientific Name: Eudyptula minor
Size: 32 to 34 cm
What does it look like?
The Little Penguin is a small, blue and white penguin.
Where is it found?
It is a common sight along the coastline of southern Australia, from Perth, Western Australia, to about Nelsons Bay, New South Wales.
What are its habitats & habits?
The Little Penguin spends the daylight hours at sea, and awaits the cover of night before coming ashore to roost in rock crevices and burrows. The Little, or Fairy, Penguin, is the only species of penguin to nest on the Australian mainland, and the only one to nest in a burrow. Similar to other penguins, food, mostly small fish and squid, is caught in skillful underwater pursuits. The birds flap their wings as they swim, as if they ‘fly’ underwater.
Interesting facts
On Phillip Island, Victoria, and on Bruny Island, Tasmania, the nightly “penguin parades” have become a tourist attraction.
This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots