Little Penguin

or Little Blue penguin, Fairy penguin.

Scientific Name: Eudyptula minor
Sub-species:
Cook Strait Blue penguin, Northern Blue penguin, Southern Blue penguin, White-flippered penguin.
Size
They are about 16 inches (40cm) tall. They weigh about 2 pounds (1kg).
Where are they found?
They are found on the coats and islands of Southern Australia from Perth to Brisbane (they are the only penguin that are at all common in Australia), Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands, etc.
What do they eat?
They feed on small fish, swallowing them underwater.
Main Predators
They have been killed by Dogs, Cats, Stoats and Ferrets, and run over by cars on coastal roads. They have also suffered reduction in numbers through loss of habitat, when scrub and forest have been cleared.

Two Little penguins in scrub land

Highlights
They are the smallest of all penguins. They have no crest, they are slate blue with the chin, throat, neck and underparts being white. The bill is black and the feet are pale flesh with black soles. Their eyes are silver-grey.

The head of a Little penguin

The nests are made of sticks, leaves, seaweed and grass. They are made in crevices or burrows up to 1 mile (1�5km) from the shore. Two white eggs are laid. The incubation period is about 39 days.


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