Animal
Little penguin
The little penguin is the smallest penguin in the world. It has blue feathers and comes home to its burrow when it gets dark.
The little penguin is the smallest penguin in the world, only about 33 centimeters long and about 1 kilogram. It lives along the coasts of southern Australia and New Zealand, where it is also called the fairy penguin, the blue penguin or kororā. It fishes at sea by day and comes ashore after dark to its burrow.
Eudyptula minor, the smallest living penguin, breeds along the coasts of southern Australia and New Zealand. It is a near-shore pursuit diver that comes ashore at night, nests in burrows and crevices, and is the only penguin that can lay more than one clutch in a season. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern (about 469,760 mature individuals, 2020), though many New Zealand colonies are declining.
Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the little penguin
The little penguin is the smallest penguin of all.
It is about as long as a ruler and a bit more. Its back is blue and its tummy is white. Its flippers have a white edge.
Meet the smallest penguin in the world. A little penguin is about 33 centimeters long and weighs about 1 kilogram, roughly as much as a bag of sugar.
Instead of black, its back is blue, from medium blue to deep indigo, and its front is white. It has a dark, hooked bill, pale pinkish feet and flippers with a white edge. In Australia people often call it the fairy penguin, and in New Zealand it is the blue penguin, or kororā.
Eudyptula minor is the smallest living penguin: New Zealand Birds Online gives a length of about 33 centimeters and a weight of about 1 kilogram, with males slightly larger and stronger-billed than females. The upperparts are blue to dark indigo, sometimes with a greenish tinge, and the underparts are white.
New Zealand Birds Online recognizes two subspecies: E. m. novaehollandiae, the Australian birds plus some from Otago, and E. m. minor, all other New Zealand populations. The Australian Museum also uses the name novaehollandiae for Australian birds, and the IUCN assesses all of them as one species.
Quick facts
- Group
- Bird
- Length
- 0.33 m
- Weight
- 1 kg
- Top speed
- up to 6 km/h
- Lifespan in the wild
- up to 25 years
Where it lives
Little penguins live in Australia and New Zealand.
They live by the sea. They make their nests in holes and under rocks near the beach.
Little penguins live along the coasts of southern Australia and New Zealand, including Tasmania, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. They stay fairly close to home: in the breeding season most are found within about 25 kilometers of the shore.
Their nests are close to the sea, in burrows, caves, rock crevices and under bushes. Some even nest under houses, boat sheds and stacks of timber, and they may waddle up to 1.5 kilometers inland to reach a good spot.
The IUCN global assessment lists the little penguin as resident in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia, and around New Zealand's North, South and Chatham Islands; a vagrant has reached Chile. New Zealand Birds Online adds Stewart Island and many offshore islands and notes that birds are mostly within 25 kilometers of the shore while breeding.
The Department of Conservation says most New Zealand birds now breed on offshore islands with less disturbance. Adults may walk up to 1.5 kilometers from the sea and climb 300 meters to a nest site, and some use buildings, pipes and timber stacks.
Continent
Where can you find this animal?
- Lives here naturally · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
- Sightings recorded · Records of wild sightings (GBIF)
Lives here naturally · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
Coasts and offshore islands of southern Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia) and New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands. Little penguins live only along the coast, not inland.
Places: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
Source: iucn-red-list · checked October 2026
Sightings recorded · Records of wild sightings (GBIF)
Counts of GBIF records of wild observations (human and machine) and preserved specimens. Records include introduced populations, vagrants, escaped or released animals and misidentifications, so a country with records is not necessarily part of the native range.
Wild sightings have been recorded in Australia, New Zealand, United States, Chile, Falkland Is., Antarctica, Canada, France and 7 more places.
Source: gbif · checked October 2026
Range maps show where scientists say an animal lives, often country by country. An animal may live in only part of a country shown, and sightings records can include animals that wandered far from home.
What it eats
Little penguins eat small fish, squid and tiny sea animals.
They dive under the water to catch them. They fish during the day.
Little penguins hunt in the sea during the day. They chase small fish that swim in groups, along with squid and small crustaceans such as krill.
They do not dive very deep: they usually hunt in water less than 50 meters deep, and in the breeding season they stay within about 20 kilometers of their colony. In New Zealand, favorite foods include arrow squid and a small fish called the slender sprat.
The diet is a varying mix of small shoaling fish, squid and crustaceans. New Zealand Birds Online lists arrow squid (Nototodarus sloanii), slender sprat, Graham's gudgeon, red cod, ahuru and stomatopod larvae as important prey in New Zealand; the Australian Museum lists fish, squid, krill and small crustaceans.
During breeding, birds forage within about 20 kilometers of the colony, pursuit diving mostly in water less than 50 meters deep. They usually feed alone or in small groups of rarely more than six. The Australian Museum notes that little penguins can spend weeks at sea, sleeping and feeding among the waves.
Did you know?
A little penguin can live for a long time.
The oldest little penguin known lived to about 25 years old.
New Zealand Birds Online gives a maximum recorded longevity of 25 years.
A small blue swimmer
Little penguins have blue backs and white tummies.
Their feathers keep out the water. Their flippers help them zoom through the sea.
A little penguin's paddle-like flippers let it 'fly' through the water at up to about 6 kilometers an hour. Its waterproof feathers keep it warm and dry.
Once a year it grows a whole new coat of feathers. This is called molting. For about two weeks the penguin stays on land, and during that time it cannot swim. A scruffy-looking penguin on the beach is usually just molting.
Paddle-like flippers drive the little penguin at up to about 6 kilometers an hour, according to New Zealand's Department of Conservation, and waterproof plumage keeps it warm and dry. The robust, hooked bill is dark gray, and the eyes are blue-gray or hazel.
During the annual molt all feathers are replaced at once. Birds must stay ashore continuously for about two weeks, mainly between January and March in New Zealand, and cannot swim, which leaves them especially vulnerable. The Department of Conservation advises leaving scruffy birds alone, since they are usually molting.
Growing up
The mother lays one or two eggs in a burrow.
Mom and dad take turns keeping the eggs warm. After about two months, the chicks go to sea.
In the breeding season a male little penguin digs or fixes up a nest to attract a mate. The female lays one or two white eggs, and the parents take turns keeping them warm, often in shifts of a day or two.
The eggs hatch after about five weeks. Both parents feed the chicks, which leave the nest at about 7 to 8 weeks old. Little penguins can start breeding when they are 2 to 3 years old.
Pairs are monogamous within a season and share incubation and chick rearing. In Australia, the Australian Museum notes, males attract mates by digging, often rebuilding old nests; incubation shifts last one or two days, and although both eggs may hatch, usually only one chick survives.
New Zealand Birds Online gives a clutch of 1 to 2 eggs laid from July to mid-November, incubation of up to 36 days, brooding for 18 to 38 days and fledging after 7 to 8 weeks, with first breeding at 2 to 3 years. It describes the little penguin as the only penguin able to lay more than one clutch in a season, though few populations do so.
Home after dark
Little penguins come home to their nests when it gets dark.
They swim to the beach together in a group. They are very noisy at night!
Little penguins spend the day at sea and come ashore after dark. At dusk they gather in small groups called rafts, floating just offshore, and then come up the beach together. A raft is usually made of the same birds each night.
At their nests they are noisy, with a loud bray that ends in a squeal, and deep growls. Many young penguins settle to breed just meters from where they hatched.
On land the little penguin is nocturnal. Birds gather in rafts offshore at dusk and come ashore together; New Zealand Birds Online notes that rafts are usually made of the same individuals each night. Calls at the nest include a loud bray ending in an inhaled squeal and deep growls, while a contact bark is used at sea.
Banding in Wellington Harbour shows that birds seldom move far: many young penguins settle to breed just meters from where they were raised, and pairs are often highly faithful to their nest sites.
Did you know?
Some little penguins make nests under people's houses.
Little penguins sometimes nest under houses and boat sheds, in pipes and in stacks of timber.
Besides burrows and crevices, little penguins use nest boxes, pipes, timber stacks and spaces under buildings.
Sharing the coast
Little penguins like to live where people live, by the beach.
Dogs and cats can hurt them. People help by keeping dogs away and building safe nest boxes.
Worldwide, little penguins are listed as Least Concern. But in New Zealand many colonies are shrinking. Dogs are likely the biggest danger, and cats, ferrets and stoats also kill penguins. Cars, boats and fishing nets are other risks.
People and penguins like the same places: the coast. Where people fence off nesting areas, trap predators and put out nest boxes, penguin numbers have stayed steady or grown.
The IUCN's 2020 global assessment lists Eudyptula minor as Least Concern, with about 469,760 mature individuals and a stable overall trend. In New Zealand the species is classed as declining but not threatened. The Department of Conservation names dogs as likely the greatest threat, with cats, ferrets and stoats, road and boat strikes, set-net bycatch and the loss of nesting sites to coastal development.
Populations respond well to predator control and nest boxes: colonies around Wellington Harbour, Banks Peninsula and Oamaru have increased. DOC also expects that H5 bird flu could cause losses, though the population is considered large enough to withstand them.
IUCN Red List
How is the little penguin doing in the wild?
- Least Concern (this animal)
- Near Threatened
- Vulnerable
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
- Extinct
Least Concern
Not at risk of disappearing from the wild right now.
See the IUCN Red List assessment · The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3
Amazing facts
-
The little penguin is the smallest penguin in the world.
The little penguin is the world's smallest penguin, about 33 centimeters long and about 1 kilogram.
At about 33 centimeters and 1 kilogram, Eudyptula minor is the smallest living penguin.
-
Some little penguins make nests under people's houses.
Little penguins sometimes nest under houses and boat sheds, in pipes and in stacks of timber.
Besides burrows and crevices, little penguins use nest boxes, pipes, timber stacks and spaces under buildings.
-
Little penguins swim to the beach together in a group.
At dusk little penguins gather in groups called rafts and come ashore together. A raft is usually the same birds every night.
Rafts gather offshore at dusk and land together, and they usually consist of the same individuals each night.
-
A little penguin can live for a long time.
The oldest little penguin known lived to about 25 years old.
New Zealand Birds Online gives a maximum recorded longevity of 25 years.
Words to know
- burrow
- a hole or tunnel an animal digs for a home or nest
- raft
- a group of seabirds floating together on the water
- nocturnal
- active at night
- molt
- when a bird loses its old feathers and grows new ones
- colony
- a large group of animals that live and breed together
- predator
- an animal that hunts and eats other animals
Discovery challenge
-
What color is a little penguin's back?
What color is a little penguin's back?
Which color describes the little penguin's upperparts?
- Blue
- Red
- Yellow
Show the answer
Blue
Its back is blue, so it is also called the blue penguin.
Its back is medium blue to dark indigo, and its front is white.
Upperparts are medium blue to dark indigo-blue, sometimes with a greenish cast.
-
When do little penguins come back to the beach?
At what time of day do little penguins come ashore?
When are little penguins active on land?
- In the morning
- After dark
- At lunchtime
Show the answer
After dark
They come home to their nests after dark.
They gather in rafts at dusk and come ashore after dark.
They are nocturnal on land, landing together at dusk and after dark.
-
Which is the smallest penguin?
Which of these is the smallest penguin in the world?
Which species is the smallest living penguin?
- Emperor penguin
- Little penguin
- King penguin
Show the answer
Little penguin
The little penguin is the smallest penguin of all.
The little penguin is only about 33 centimeters long and weighs about 1 kilogram.
Eudyptula minor, at about 33 centimeters and 1 kilogram, is the smallest living penguin.
-
Which animal is the biggest danger to little penguins in New Zealand?
Which animal does New Zealand's Department of Conservation call the greatest threat to little penguins?
Which predator is likely the greatest threat to little penguins, according to New Zealand's Department of Conservation?
- Dogs
- Whales
- Eagles
Show the answer
Dogs
Dogs can hurt penguins, so keep dogs away from their nests.
Dogs are likely the greatest threat; cats, ferrets and stoats also kill penguins.
DOC names dogs as likely the greatest threat, with cats, ferrets and stoats, roads, boats and set nets.
Places where you might see it
-
Watch
Country
Australia
Australia is a country and the smallest continent, surrounded by ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. Much of its middle is dry and flat, most people live near the coast, and its animals include kangaroos, koalas and the platypus, a mammal that lays eggs.
-
Watch
Country
New Zealand
New Zealand, also called Aotearoa, is an island country in the South Pacific. Its two main islands have snowy mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and deep fiords, and about 5.36 million people lived there in 2026.
Experiments to try
Explore next
-
Watch
Animal
African penguin
The African penguin is a penguin of warm, sunny coasts. It lives only in South Africa and Namibia, nests in burrows and under bushes, and hunts sardines and anchovies in the cold sea. Its numbers have fallen so far that it is now Critically Endangered, and people are working hard to protect it.
-
Watch
Animal
Gentoo penguin
The gentoo penguin is the penguin with the red-orange bill, orange feet and a white band across the top of its head. It lives on the Antarctic Peninsula and on islands around Antarctica, builds nests of stones, and usually lays two eggs. National Geographic says no other diving bird swims faster.
-
Watch
Country
Australia
Australia is a country and the smallest continent, surrounded by ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. Much of its middle is dry and flat, most people live near the coast, and its animals include kangaroos, koalas and the platypus, a mammal that lays eggs.
-
Watch
Country
New Zealand
New Zealand, also called Aotearoa, is an island country in the South Pacific. Its two main islands have snowy mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and deep fiords, and about 5.36 million people lived there in 2026.
-
Watch
3D
Animal
Leafy seadragon
The leafy seadragon is a relative of the seahorse covered in leaf-shaped flaps of skin. It drifts among seaweed so well that it almost disappears. It sucks up tiny shrimp through its long snout, and the father carries the eggs on his tail.
- Watch What If? Lab What if penguins could fly? Penguins are birds whose wings became stiff flippers for swimming. Their ancestors flew, but today's penguins are superb divers instead. Imagine a penguin that could fly: what would it need to change, and what might it lose underwater?
-
Watch
Animal
Adélie penguin
The Adélie penguin is a medium-sized penguin, about 70 centimeters tall, with a black back, a white front and a bright white ring around each eye. It breeds in summer on rocky, ice-free ground all around Antarctica, building nests of pebbles, and spends the winter far out at sea among the pack ice.
-
Watch
Animal
African fish eagle
The African fish eagle is a big eagle of Africa's lakes, rivers and coasts, with a white head, chest and tail and a chestnut-brown body. It snatches fish from the surface of the water, and its loud, ringing call is one of the best-known sounds of Africa.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Identify the little penguin as the smallest penguin and describe its blue plumage.
- Describe its daily routine: fishing at sea by day and coming ashore after dark.
- Describe its life cycle, from one or two eggs in a burrow to fledging at 7 to 8 weeks.
- Explain how dogs, cats and coastal development affect penguins and how people help.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might coming ashore in the dark be safer for a small penguin?
- Little penguins and people like to live in the same places. How can they share the coast?
- Why might a molting penguin have to stay on land?
Try at home or in class
- Measure 33 centimeters with a ruler and string to see how long the smallest penguin is.
- Design a penguin nest box from a cardboard box: where should the entrance go, and why?
Key vocabulary: burrow, raft, nocturnal, molt, colony, predator
Where these facts come from
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN terms of use (no redistribution of Red List data or range maps))
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and GBIF Occurrence Search , Global Biodiversity Information Facility (CC0 1.0 (backbone); occurrence counts are facts derived from records under CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC)
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Eudyptula minor (Little Penguin), Red List global assessment 2020 , IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Little penguin/kororā , New Zealand Department of Conservation
- Little penguin | Kororā , New Zealand Birds Online (Te Papa)
- Little Penguin, Eudyptula minor , Australian Museum
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file: Public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA only (credited on each page))
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 27, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.