HOME | DD

Description
Little Blue Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins, are the smallest of all penguin species at just 34-43cm tall and weighing 1-1.5kg from the Southern Coast of Australia and also occurring in New Zealand. They are a deep blue colour giving them their name.

The small penguins don't have a very long lifespan, averaging just 6.5 years in the wild (with maximum of 20 years recorded in captivity). They don't start breeding until after the age of 3, so the penguins have very few years to reproduce and boost their population before their own life ends. Their numbers are dropping in the wild and threats include attacks from dogs, cats and foxes; the destruction and disturbance of nesting habitat from human activity; pollution and run-off from human development; reckless behavior from jet skiiers and water skiiers and reduction of food supplies from over-fishing and introduction of exotic disease and parasites.

Description
Little Blue Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins, are the smallest of all penguin species at just 34-43cm tall and weighing 1-1.5kg from the Southern Coast of Australia and also occurring in New Zealand. They are a deep blue colour giving them their name.

The small penguins don't have a very long lifespan, averaging just 6.5 years in the wild (with maximum of 20 years recorded in captivity). They don't start breeding until after the age of 3, so the penguins have very few years to reproduce and boost their population before their own life ends. Their numbers are dropping in the wild and threats include attacks from dogs, cats and foxes; the destruction and disturbance of nesting habitat from human activity; pollution and run-off from human development; reckless behavior from jet skiiers and water skiiers and reduction of food supplies from over-fishing and introduction of exotic disease and parasites.