They are approximately 30cm tall, weigh around 1kg as an adult, and live to about 8-10 years old. At the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony we have birds that are 21 years old, the oldest penguin on record is 25. (Phillip Island, Australia)
Blue penguins breed on the coastal mainland and islands of New Zealand and southern Australia (shown on map below). In Australia they used to be called fairy penguins.
There are several things that are unique to the little blue penguin:
- Its colour — blue with a white chest
- It walks on land with a forward stoop
- It has no other colour or crest on its head
