Which Australian penguin is the world’s smallest penguin species?

The little penguin is the world’s smallest penguin species.

It is also called the blue penguin because adults have blue-grey upperparts, rather than the black backs typical of many larger penguins. Little penguins live along the southern coastlines of Australia and around New Zealand, including offshore islands. Australia’s largest well-known colony is associated with Phillip Island in Victoria.

Adults usually stand about 30 centimetres tall and weigh roughly one kilogram, although measurements vary. They feed at sea on small fish, squid and crustaceans, returning to land after dark in many colonies. Their small size helps distinguish them from Australia’s other penguin, the much larger king penguin, which visits some southern waters but does not breed widely on the Australian mainland.

The species’ scientific name is Eudyptula minor. Despite its size, it is a genuine penguin with the same swimming adaptations as larger relatives, including flipper-like wings and dense waterproof feathers.