While I’ve been monitoring little penguin nests, I’ve learned a lot about these little creatures. If I could describe little penguins in three words, I would say: agile, mighty, and protective. That might be a surprising description of an animal that is so tiny and cute, but I promise you that these birds are tougher than they look! I can't wait to tell you all about them.
Little penguins are also called “fairy penguins” because they have a blue tint to their feathers and they are very small, less than 12 inches tall. Little penguins are covered head to tail in dense, short feathers. These feathers are warm and waterproof, allowing the birds to swim at sea for hours without getting cold. Little penguins have a short beak that is perfectly adapted for snapping down on fish and swallowing them whole. My favorite thing about little penguins are their feet. Penguin feet are big and muscular. They have big claws on their toes to help them climb and dig out their burrows. Penguin feet are webbed, like flippers, to help them swim and steer in the water. All of these adaptations make penguins fish-hunting machines!
