Small but mighty: Earth’s tiniest penguin
Blogger: Campaign Manager for the Little Blue Penguin and Dominion Post environment reporter, Kiran Chug
The little blue might be the world’s smallest penguin, but what it lacks in size it certainly makes up for in character. Feisty, and not afraid to let handlers know about it, little blues pack enough charisma into their 25cm high frame to warrant your vote for Bird of the Year.
Little Blue Penguin - twenty five centimetres of attitude
With cute factor to spare, these seabirds are found the length of the country, and their choice of habitats prove they’re also quite smart.
They are after prime coastal real estate. They hunt out the best spots close to the ocean, and make those home.
Yet while they are found up and down our shores, spotting these penguins is not always an easy task.
They spend the day out at sea feeding, coming into shore at dusk. Grabbing a glimpse of them before they waddle into their bush covered nests takes a keen eye.
Around Wellington, these little birds have had to learn some tough lessons. Sadly, some are still learning the road rules. Too many have fallen victim to the cars screeching around the capital’s coast. And all they were doing was trying to cross the road to get home after a day’s work hunting.
Others have just proved too irresistible to dogs being taken for an evening walk along the beach. Apparently little blues smell quite good.
So yes, they are feisty, but they also need our help. In some areas they are getting it. Wellington’s Places for Penguins project has seen hundreds of safe nesting boxes set up for these little guys, and at this time of year, little chicks are starting to hatch. They’ll be well looked after by mum and dad, fed in their nests until they are big, strong and waterproof enough to head out to sea alone and find food.
They’re great parents, great characters, and a special little seabird that has a very New Zealand story. Yes, we’ve tried to destroy their homes, we’ve introduced predators to their environment, and we’ve generally made life tough for these little fighters. Yet, they also prove that with a bit of work we can turn this story around.
In areas where we’re paying attention, the little blues are coming back, and they’re coming back fighting.
