Little Penguin The Unique Animal

The Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest species of penguin. Penguin, which normally grow to an average of 33 cm (13 in) high and 43 cm (17 in) long (although specific measurements vary according to subspecies), is found on the southern coast of Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.

In addition to small Penguins, they have several common names. In Australia, they are also referred to as Fairy Penguins because of their small size. In New Zealand, they are also called Little Blue Penguins, or just Blue Penguins, because the stone-blue feathers, and they called Korora in Māori

Like all penguins, little penguins wings have evolved into flippers used for swimming. The Little Penguin typically grows between 30 and 33 cm (12 to 13 inches) tall and usually weighs around 1.5 kilograms on average (3.3 pounds). Head and upperparts, dark blue, with a stone-gray ear hairs white fade down, from the chin to the belly. The blue fin. Bill gray-black darkness is 3-4 cm long, pale iris, silver or bluish gray or brown and pink on its feet with black soles and webbing. An individual who is a minor will have a shorter bill and lighter upperparts.

Like most seabirds, they have longevity. On average for the species is 6.5 years, but flipper ringing trial show in very exceptional cases up to 25 years in captivity.

The Little Penguin descent along the entire coast of New Zealand, Chatham Islands, and southern Australia (including around 20,000 pairs in Babel Island).

Little penguins have also been reported from Chile (where they are known as Pequeno or pinguino pinguino Azul) (Isla Chanaral 1996, Playa de Santo Domingo, San Antonio, March 16, 1997) and South Africa, it is not clear whether the bird vagrants.

Rough estimates (as new colonies continue to be discovered) of the world population is about 350.000 to 600,000 animals. This species is not considered endangered, except for White-flippered subspecies found only on Banks Peninsula and near Motunau Island in New Zealand. Since the late 1960s, the mainland population has decreased by 60-70%, although there has been a small increase in Motunau Island. But overall Little Penguin population has declined as well, with some colonies that have been deleted and others directly at risk population. However, the new colony was established in urban areas.

The biggest threat for the Little Penguin population has predasi (including the destruction of nests) from cats, foxes, large reptiles, foxes, and weasels. Because of their small size and the introduction of new predators, some colonies have decreased in size by 98% in just a few years, such as small colonies in Middle Island, near Warrnambool, Victoria, which was reduced from about 600 penguins in 2001 to less than 10 in year 2005. Because of the threat of colony collapse, conservationists pioneered experimental techniques using Maremma Sheepdogs to protect the colony and ward off potential predators.