Little Penguin

The Little Penguin is the smallest of all penguin species, standing barely a foot tall. Its plumage is a soft slate-blue to indigo above, shading to white below, which has earned it the popular nickname "Fairy Penguin" or "Little Blue Penguin."

Unlike many of its larger relatives, this species is famously shy and nocturnal on land, coming ashore under cover of darkness to avoid predators, a behavior that has made evening "penguin parades" a popular wildlife-viewing spectacle in parts of its range.

Despite its diminutive size, the Little Penguin is a strong and agile swimmer, spending most of its life at sea.

Key field marks

• Very small size, less than half the height of most other penguins
• Slate-blue to indigo upperparts with a silvery sheen
• Clean white underparts and white-tipped flippers
• Pale pinkish-grey feet

Similar species

• No other penguin overlaps in range or size across most of southern Australia and New Zealand, making the Little Penguin generally unmistakable.
• Juveniles are simply a duller, browner version of the adult plumage.

Little Penguins are found around the coasts of southern Australia and New Zealand, breeding in burrows, rock crevices, or dense coastal vegetation on offshore islands and sheltered mainland shorelines. They favor sandy beaches and rocky headlands close to productive inshore feeding waters.

They are largely sedentary, foraging within a relatively short distance of their breeding colony year-round rather than undertaking long migrations.

Voice

At colonies after dark, Little Penguins give a range of loud brays, growls, and trumpeting calls used to locate mates and defend burrows.

Feeding

They forage in near-shore waters, making short, shallow dives to catch small schooling fish, squid, and krill, often returning to sea for days at a time between feeding trips.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs nest in burrows, natural cavities, or under dense vegetation, and typically lay two eggs. Adults commute to and from the colony at dusk and dawn, gathering in rafts offshore before coming ashore together in groups for safety.