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Little Penguin
Little penguins - (c) iStockphoto/Julie Wax
At a glance
The fairy penguin (
Eudyptula minor
) is the smallest speciesSphenisciformes
of its order (
), typica
Lacking any seasonal variation in appearance, the head, fins and upperparts are generally blue, with sla
Little penguins (also known as fairy penguins) are generally inshore, opportunistic feeders with
a diet of mainly small schooling fish such as anchovies (Engraulis australis) and pilchards (Sard
inops neopilchardus
), as well as squid and other small ocean dwelling creatures. Their nesting behaviour is also
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Little Penguin
opportunistic, using anything that provides relative shelter where burrowing conditions are poor,
including pipes or under vegetation.
Typically however, they burrow in sand dunes, rock piles, sea caves and occasionally under
buildings. There's usually a tunnel 60 to 80 cm long with a nest bowl at one end large enough
for a penguin to stand in.
Like many seabirds, they have a fairly long lifespan (six to seven years) and reach sexual
maturity at about three years for males and two years for females. They are monogamous only
within a breeding season and share incubation and chick rearing duties for the first three
months. Nest building is usually in September, producing a clutch of one or two white or lightly
mottled brown eggs. Although both eggs normally hatch, competition for food usually leads to
just one chick fledging successfully.
Found in Australia and New Zealand, their northern distribution is likely restricted by food availabilit
Humane Society International (HSI) has long been involved with the species, successfully
nominating the 'Little penguin population, Manly Point area' as an Endangered Population under
the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995, in 1997. While considering HSI's
nomination, the NSW Scientific Committee found that the decline of Sydney's little penguin
population is due to habitat destruction from development and predation from domestic and
introduced animals, particularly dogs.
Other threats included reduced food sources, toxic effects of oil spills, jet skis and powerboats,
chronic lead poisoning (by ingestion of lead fishing sinkers) and entanglement in fishing tackle
and plastic debris.
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Despite being in generally good health (estimated world population is around 350,000 to
600,000 individuals) the Manly penguins are of significant conservation value given their
disjunction from other populations, their occurrence in Sydney Harbour, and being the only
known breeding colony on mainland NSW.
Little penguins living so close to a major urban centre highlights the importance of habitat
conservation and the integral role of community participation in the conservation of biodiversity,
both factors integral to the Wildlife Land Trust.
Following HSI's nomination and the eventual listing of the species, a Recovery Planwas
developed by the NSW Government, outlining several recovery actions to maintain and
enhance the endangered population, including: monitoring the population to identify potential
habitat; educating the community; including the colony in marine pollution management; and
protecting habitat through the environmental planning and assessment process.
A 2007 progress report noted that these actions appear to have arrested the declining numbers
of the population, with promising signs such as increased chick fledging apparent.
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