Fairy penguins are also known as little blues
Fairy penguins, as their name suggests, are the smallest of the penguins, making them particularly cute and appealing to kids. You can help your child become an expert in these flightless birds with some interesting facts which are easy for her to remember and fun to learn.
Appearance
Fairy penguins are also known as little penguins or little blue penguins because of their appearance. They are usually about 15 inches tall and have blue/grey bodies and flippers and a white tummy and throat. Their eyes are a silvery grey and they have pink feet and a black beak. They weigh about 2 lbs.
Little penguin chicks are a brown color and turn blue/grey as they get older. Adult penguins shed their feathers and grow a new coat after the baby penguins have left the nest.
Home
Fairy penguins are only found south of the equator, in southern Australia and New Zealand. They live in burrows, which are tunnels that lead to a cave which they can stand up in. They can also make nests in rocks and caves and sometimes under houses. Fairy penguin chicks only live in the nest with their parents for the first eight weeks of their lives and then have to leave and make their own home.
Lifestyle
Most fairy penguins live for about seven years. They live in pairs and the female lays two eggs at a time; the eggs take about five weeks to hatch. The parents look after the eggs and the baby chicks together. The penguins spend the day out at sea and return to their nests at night. They eat small fish like anchovies, sea horses and pilchards and swallow their food whole. They are great swimmers but like all penguins they are birds that are unable to fly.
Threats
Fairy penguins are not an endangered species but they do face a lot of dangers. Seals, whales, large gulls, dogs, cats and foxes will attack and eat them. Cars can post a threat to the penguins if they live in areas where they have to cross a road to get home to their burrows at night. Other man-made dangers such as pollution and oil spills are also a threat.
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