2011-06-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

THE PENGUINS

The Fairy or Little Penguin is the smallest of the 18 species of penguin and the only one to breed in Australia. While Bass Strait is home to most Little Penguins, colonies are also found in southern waters from Fremantle to southern Queensland, only breeding as far north as Port Stephens in NSW.

Waterproof:- The Little Penguin is a bird which has list the ability to fly. It has adapted to a life spent more at sea than on land. In fact, for most of its first year it spends nearly all of its time at sea. It is very well insulated for this watery existence and, having a flattened cornea, can see just as clearly under water as it can on land. Insulation is achieved through a unique and dense feather pattern and through preening. An oil secreted by an oil gland is spread over the feathers using the beak, creating a waterproof coat.

Penguins Breeding:- Penguins possess an amazing homing instinct. Although they can travel hundreds of kilometers from the colony of their birth in search of food, they return to this colony to breed and moult. Breeding usually begins in September. Usually 2 eggs are laid and incubation is shared by both parents. For the first two weeks the chicks are continually brooded by one parent while the sea going parent feeds the chicks by regurgitating pre-digested food into the chick’s mouth. During the next 5-6 weeks both parents go to sea to feed, leaving the chicks, who at this stage are very vulnerable to predators.

Penguins Moult:- Penguins moult once a year. Before the moult they must accumulate extra body fat, as they fast for the 15-20 days it takes to replace all their old feathers with new ones. Because they are not waterproof during this process they cannot go to sea and hunt. To do so would mean almost certain death from a lack of insulation against the cold.

Penguins Concern:-Penguins have a number of natural predators such as seals, sharks and barracoutas at sea and a number of birds and reptiles on land. However, one of the major threats to their existence is urban sprawl and its associated hazards. There is major concern that penguin populations are declining due to a shortage of food, either through natural causes or over fishing. Penguins must travel further out to sea in search of food and many do not return to their nests, often leaving chicks to starve.

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Penguins