Kororā is the Māori name for the little penguin, the world’s smallest penguin species.
Little penguins are also called little blue penguins because their upperparts often appear slate-blue rather than black. They breed around the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, including offshore islands and sheltered mainland sites.
In New Zealand, kororā commonly come ashore after dark and may travel through coastal suburbs, roads, and gardens to reach nesting areas. Their small size helps distinguish them from larger crested penguins and from the yellow-eyed penguin, known in Māori as hoiho.
Little penguins are the only penguin species regularly found in Australia. They spend much of the day at sea and return to land to rest, molt, and raise chicks.