Little penguin, Fairy penguin, Little penguin
The little penguin (Eudyptula minor ) is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage. They are also known by their Māori name kororā.
The Australian little penguin (Eudyptula novaehollandiae ) from Australia and the Otago region of New Zealand is considered a separate species by a 2016 study and a 2019 study.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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Flightless birdFlightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostri...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Little blue penguin is the smallest among all penguin species. These penguins do not have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are smaller than males, having shorter bills. The coloration of the animal's plumage usually becomes duller during the lifetime. The beak of the penguin is black, and the eyes vary in color from silver to blue, grey or hazel. The undersides of the flippers, torso, chin and throat of the little blue penguin are white. Coloration of their undersides often varies in color from white to gray and brown. The penguin is colored indigo-blue on the top of its head, on the neck, torso as well as outer parts of it flippers.
The Little blue penguin inhabits various habitats such as savannas, rocky areas along the coastline and forests, including scrub forests. The species is distributed from the southern coast of Australia to the South Solitary Island offshore New South Wales as well as coastal areas of New Zealand.
These penguins are both diurnal and nocturnal. They typically forage by day at sea, feeding their chicks and then arranging themselves to sleep at night beside the nest. Returning to shore from the sea, these animals usually march in groups to their nesting sites. During successful breeding years, they gather in well-organized groups, marching with the same individuals on their way from and to the nesting sites. Little blue penguins are extremely noisy animals, each individual having its own unique call. They use a wide variety of calls in various situations: during the courtship, defending the territory, gathering together, showing aggression or as a way to identify an individual.
Little blue penguins are carnivores (piscivores), their diet mainly consists of small species of fish with preference to anchovies and pilchards. They will also consume squid, plankton, krill as well as a small octopus. In addition, Little blue penguins eat inhabitants of the sea floor such as crustaceans, crab larvae and sea horses.
Little blue penguins are monogamous, forming pairs and remaining together year after year. Penguin pairs can split up when one of the mates dies or after unsuccessful nesting attempt. During the period from June to October, the birds gather into loosely organized breeding colonies. Nesting areas of little blue penguins are rocky cliffs, caves and ground burrows. The female typically lays 1-2 eggs. The chicks hatch out after 31-40 days of incubation period. During the first 18-38 days, both parents share chick rearing duties, taking turns every 3-4 days. By the end of this period, they relax their duties, rearing the young only at the nighttime. The chicks fledge at the age of 50-65 days old, becoming completely independent at 57-78 days of age. Sexual maturity is usually reached at 3 years old.
The species is threatened by their natural predators as well as decline in prey species' populations due to increased industrial fishing. Little blue penguins suffer from pollution such as oil spills. On the other hand, expansion of human habitat and coastal erosion negatively impact populations of the little penguins.
The estimated population of these penguins is less than 1 million individuals, including 469,760 mature individuals. On the IUCN Red List, the species is classified as Least Concern (LC) and its population is presently stable.
Little blue penguins are an important link in the ecosystem of their habitat. Feeding upon a wide variety of marine organisms, these birds control populations of these species. Eggs and chicks of the penguins are consumed by rats, cats, dogs and other predators of the area. In addition, adult penguins are a key source of food for a number of predators, including seals, sharks and orca whales.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...