How Small is the Smallest Penguin?

A penguin is a flightless and aquatic bird that can be seen mostly in Antarctica. Even if many species of penguin lives in areas with cold climate, there are also other kinds that live in areas with temperate climate like the Galapagos Penguin. Most species of this animal feed on squid, fish as well as krill. Penguins spend half of their life in the oceans and the other half on land. The largest kind of this animal is known as the Emperor Penguin. In order to know more about the animal, it is also important to have knowledge about the smallest species of penguin.

The Little Blue Penguin

What is the smallest species of penguin? The smallest kind of penguin is the little blue penguin (also known as the Eudyptula minor). In some countries like Australia, this species is called as fairy penguins. On the other hand, in Maori, this animal is called korora.

How small is the smallest penguin? Studies showed that the usual size of this animal is 17 inches. In terms of weight, this species weighs a kilogram or 2.2 pounds. The color of the upperparts of the body of this penguin is indigo. The color of the ear of this animal is slate grey while the bill is dark grey-black. Like the other species of penguin, the little blue penguin has an average life span of 6.5 years. However, recent experiments done by scientists showed that the animal can live up to two decades.

A Background of the Discovery of the Little Blue Penguin

This species of penguin was discovered in 1971 by Johann Reinhold Forster, a German naturalist. One of the most popular subspecies of this animal is the White-flippered penguin. The breeding capability of the animal starts at age three or four. This type of penguin is monogamous, which means that the animal is faithful with their partner. However, when the partner dies, the penguin will look for a new partner.

This animal species stay in big colonies for a long time. Some of the most famous colonies are the Kangaroo Island in Australia, the Philip Island in Victoria, the Goat Island in Tasmania as well as the Oamaru in New Zealand. Aside from these, there are also colonies in the other parts of the world. These include the Penguin Island in West Australia, the Port Jackson in New South Wales, the Bowen Island at the Jervis Bay Territory in Australia and the London Arch in Victoria.