Australian little penguins (Eudyptula novaehollandiae) These birds tend to build their nests in burrows or rock crevices close to the coastline in large colonies. The largest Australian little penguin colony, on Philip Island, in the Bass Strait, hosts approximately 40,000 individuals of breeding age. (more) Australian little penguin bird Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Eudyptula minor novaehollandiae, Eudyptula novaehollandiae Written by John P. Rafferty John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to... John P. Rafferty Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Nov 18, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What distinguishes the Australian little penguin from the blue penguin? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Although the Australian little penguin resembles the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) in most respects, and several classifications continue to list it as a subspecies of the blue penguin, a series of studies published in the 2010s noted that slight differences in the skeletal and genetic structures between the two groups were great enough to argue that the Australian little penguin should be classified as a new species." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are the physical characteristics of the Australian little penguin? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Fully grown Australian little penguins average about 25u201330 cm (10u201312 inches) in length and about 1.2 kg (2.6 pounds) in weight. They have pale blue or indigo to dark gray plumage, a streamlined body, a short beak, and pinkish webbed feet with black claws. The upper body feathers of juveniles are colored brown, but, like those of adults, the feathers on their undersides are white." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the conservation status of the Australian little penguin? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Australian little penguin has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but the blue penguin is listed as least concern. However, their nests are sometimes destroyed by construction projects or fouled by pollution, vehicles such as Jet Skis, can strike them at sea, and they are sometimes killed by introduced predators (such as dogs, cats, foxes, and rats). So far, only the Manly colony in Sydney Harbour is considered endangered and protected under New South Walesu2019s Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016." } } ] } Top Questions What distinguishes the Australian little penguin from the blue penguin? Although the Australian little penguin resembles the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) in most respects, and several classifications continue to list it as a subspecies of the blue penguin, a series of studies published in the 2010s noted that slight differences in the skeletal and genetic structures between the two groups were great enough to argue that the Australian little penguin should be classified as a new species.

　　What are the physical characteristics of the Australian little penguin? Fully grown Australian little penguins average about 25–30 cm (10–12 inches) in length and about 1.2 kg (2.6 pounds) in weight. They have pale blue or indigo to dark gray plumage, a streamlined body, a short beak, and pinkish webbed feet with black claws. The upper body feathers of juveniles are colored brown, but, like those of adults, the feathers on their undersides are white.

　　What is the conservation status of the Australian little penguin? The Australian little penguin has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but the blue penguin is listed as least concern. However, their nests are sometimes destroyed by construction projects or fouled by pollution, vehicles such as Jet Skis, can strike them at sea, and they are sometimes killed by introduced predators (such as dogs, cats, foxes, and rats). So far, only the Manly colony in Sydney Harbour is considered endangered and protected under New South Wales’s Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

　　Australian little penguin, (Eudyptula novaehollandiae), informal species of penguin inhabiting the coastal areas of Tasmania, Australia, and the Otago Peninsula region of New Zealand. It resembles the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) in most respects; the plumage of the Australian little penguin is also pale blue or indigo to dark gray, and it is known for its small size. It also shares the title of world’s smallest living penguin with the blue penguin. Until a series of studies conducted in the 2010s reported that slight differences in the genetic and skeletal structures between the two groups were compelling enough to argue ...(100 of 1328 words)

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