Little Penguin

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Little Penguin
Little Penguins
Conservation status
Least concern (LC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae Genus: Eudyptula Species: E. minor
Binomial name
Eudyptula minor (J.R.Forster, 1781)

The Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest species of penguin, and breeding around the entire coastline of New Zealand and the Chatham Islands as well as southern Australia and Tasmania. They have several common names. In Australia they are often referred to as Fairy Penguins, in New Zealand they are called Little Blue Penguins or just Blue Penguins owing to their plumage color, the New Zealand Māori call them Kororā. Little penguins were also reported from Chile (where they are known as Pingüino pequeño or Pingüino azul) (Isla Chañaral 1996, Playa de Santo Domingo, San Antonio, 16 March 1997) but it is unclear whether these birds were vagrants. Nevertheless it has been suggested that there might be a yet undiscovered breeding population in the Chilean portion of Patagonia. Recently, the first record of a living Little penguin has been reported from Namibia (Ichaboe Island, April 2005). There are several subspecies but a precise classification of these is still a matter of dispute. The White-Flippered Penguin, sometimes treated as a separate species, is probably best considered a sub-species, but the Australian and South Island populations seem to be a distinct species (Banks et al., 2002).

[edit] Biology

Chick in nest burrow

Typically growing to 40 centimetres (15.75 inches) tall and weighing about a kilogram (2.2 pounds), they live year-round in large colonies, with each individual breeding pair forming a burrow in which to raise their chicks (of which two are born at a time). They feed by hunting fish, squid, and other small sea animals, for which they travel and dive quite extensively. Little penguins, like most seabirds, have a long lifespan. The average for the species is 6.5 years, but flipper ringing experiments have recorded individuals that have lived for over 20 years (Dann et al., 2005)

Little Penguins typically return to their colonies to feed their chicks at dusk; the birds will tend to come ashore in small groups to provide some defense against predators which might pick off individuals one by one.

See List of Little Penguin colonies.

[edit] Relationship with humans

Whilst not endangered as a whole, colonies in areas with significant human activity are under some threat from pollution and feral animals. In Australia they were once common along the southern coast line but the introduction of domestic cats has dramatically reduced their viable habitat. They are now primarily restricted to cat free islands off the coast.

At Phillip Island, south-east of Melbourne, a viewing area has been set up to allow tourists to view the nightly "penguin parade". Lights and concrete stands have been erected to allow visitors to see but NOT photograph the birds interacting in their colony, which they do with a total lack of interest in their spectators. The birds, which many tourists find irresistibly cute, are Victoria's most popular tourist attraction^{[citation needed]}. Tourists to Perth in Western Australia can also make the short trip to Penguin Island to see the penguins and observe their normal behaviour. The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is the New Zealand equivalent to Phillip Island's penguin parade.

Linus Torvalds, the original creator of Linux (a popular operating system kernel), was once bitten by a Little Penguin while on holiday in Australia. Reportedly, this encounter encouraged Torvalds to select Tux as the official Linux mascot/logo.

[edit] Fairy Penguins at Sea World

Little Penguins at Sea World, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

There is also a colony of Little Penguins at Sea World, on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. In April 2006, Sea World's operators began referring to the birds as Little Penguins, fearing that the name 'Fairy Penguins' would be offensive to the gay community[1]. Gay rights groups, however, slammed the move as being 'ridiculous and unnecessary'.

[edit] Gallery

At the Henry Doorly Zoo

[edit] References

• Banks, Jonathan C.; Mitchell, Anthony D.; Waas, Joseph R. & Paterson, Adrian M. (2002): An unexpected pattern of molecular divergence within the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) complex. Notornis 49(1): 29–38. PDF fulltext
• BirdLife International (2004). Eudyptula minor. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Dann, P. et al (2005): Longevity in Little Penguins. Marine Ornithology 33: 71–72. PDf fulltext

[edit] External links

• More Information on Little penguins @ New Zealand Penguins
• Little penguins from the International Penguin Conservation Web Site
• Philip Island Nature Park Web Site
• Tourist Information. Plan Your Trip to Phillip Island's Penguin Parade
• Gould's The Birds of Australia plate
• Fairy Penquin on Google Video