The world's smallest penguin is the kororā - the little blue penguin, Eudyptula minor. They stand just 25cm tall and weigh only one kilogram. Adult birds come ashore between May and June to prepare nests. This small bird may waddle up to 1.5 km from the sea, and climb 300 m to find the perfect nest site. Traditional nests are in underground burrows, under vegetation, in crevices, between rocks or in caves. Since people came onto the coastal scene, little penguins have also taken to nesting under houses and boat sheds, in stormwater pipes, and stacks of timber or, in our case, in the larger wooden boxes you see along the track. Please do not disturb them. Generally they only come ashore at night, by day they forage for food up to 25 km offshore and 70 km from the colony. Kororā can reach speeds of up to 6 kph underwater and dive to 35m. They lay one or two eggs and the parents take turns looking after the eggs while the other is out getting something to eat. Domestic pets are some of their worst predators, one of the reasons why dogs are not welcome here.
Supporting the GeoKids program - my caches have treasure, makes them fun for kids to find!