Which penguin species is the world’s smallest, reaching about 33 centimetres tall?

The Little penguin is the world’s smallest penguin species, reaching about 33 centimetres in height.

Little penguins live mainly along the southern coastlines of Australia and New Zealand, with additional colonies in Tasmania and nearby islands. Their blue-grey upperparts give them another common name: blue penguin. Unlike many Antarctic penguins, they spend much of their lives in relatively temperate waters and often return to shore after dark.

Their small size is an adaptation to their environment, but it also makes them vulnerable to introduced predators, coastal development, fishing activity, and disturbance near nesting areas. They nest in burrows, rock crevices, and artificial nest boxes.

Little penguins are sometimes confused with juvenile penguins of larger species. Size alone is not always enough for identification, but the combination of very small stature and blue-grey plumage is characteristic of this species.