They have the most unpredictable breeding calendar of any penguins with the first egg being laid in some locations between May and August and in others between September and December or June and August. Little Blue Penguins usually breed for the first time when they are two to three years old. Prey is captured by pursuit diving to depths usually less than 20 m (66 ft).
Small fish are swallowed head-first under water fish more than 3 cm (1.2 in) long are eaten at the surface. In addition to food preference, their diet is impacted by seasonal changes in ocean currents and temperature that affect food supply. In others the fish of choice is sardines, and in still others, the preference is krill and sometimes squid. In some locations anchovy and sprat are preferred. Their diet varies seasonally and by location. In larger colonies, over a period of 60 to 75 minutes hundreds of penguins may leave the land for foraging areas. During the non-breeding winter season, they may swim further from the colony. During the breeding period in which they are incubating eggs, foraging take two to three days. If there is thick fog and low visibility, they remain offshore. They leave land at dawn under cover of darkness, spend the day at sea foraging in small groups, and return to land at dusk, again under cover of darkness. DietĪdult Little Blue Penguins usually forage every day about 25 km (15.5 mi) from shore in shallow waters where prey is close to the surface. Both males and females lose weight during the breeding season when they are caring for eggs and feeding chicks. They are heaviest when they start the breeding season after spending several months foraging, and at the end of the breeding season after their pre-molt foraging. The weight of these penguins varies seasonally. Length, the measurement from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail, is several inches longer. Standing height: 36 to 43 cm (13 to 15 in) At 26 to 29 days the down is replaced with feathers. Hatchlings are covered in black down that is replaced in 8 to 14 days with chocolate brown down. Juvenile birds have a shorter bill and lighter upperparts. The eyes are pale silvery- or bluish-grey or hazel, and the feet are pink above with black soles and webbing. The 3-4 cm, (1.2-1.6 in) bill is a dark grey-black. Small slate-grey feathers cover the ears, fading to white underneath, from the chin to the belly. The shade of blue varies by geographic location of the penguins. The head and upperparts of adults can be slate-blue, indigo-blue, or almost black. Little Blues are temperate water penguins, inhabiting both offshore islands, preferably with rocky shorelines, and mainland sites near or in urbanized areas. Australia: southern coast as far north as Port Stephens in the east to Fremantle in the west. New Zealand: south and north coasts of North island, southeast coast of South Island, west and southeast coast of New Zealand Island and Chatham Island. The Little Blue is the smallest of the three penguin models, (Emperor, Magellanic, and Little Blue), that provide our visitors with a ‘photographic moment’. The Aquarium’s Little Blue Penguin is one of three models in the June Keyes Penguin Habitat that illustrate the wide size range among the world’s penguins. SPECIES IN DETAIL Little Blue (Fairy) PenguinĬLIMATE CHANGE: Vulnerable At the Aquarium
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