20th January Penguin Awareness Day

 

January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day and it is time to get to know your penguins. There are 18 species of penguin that live primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. 72% of penguins species have a declining population and 5 species are considered endangered. These species are facing extinction if improved protection and conservation measures are not implemented.

In Australia, Penguin Awareness Day is celebrated on 20th January

 to highlight the conservation of native species like the Little Penguin. The Little Penguin is the only species that breeds on the Australian mainland, with significant colonies located at Phillip Island (Millowl). Additionally, April 25th is recognised as World Penguin Day, focusing on global protection efforts.

You can read about Little Penguins on Philip Island here. Little penguins are sometimes called fairy penguins, or little blue penguins. Little penguins are negatively affected by several human-related factors including introduced predators such as dogs and cats, habitat destruction, oil pollution and they are also sensitive to climate change. 

Fun Little Penguin Facts

• • On average Little Penguins only live to about 7 years of age, however this is brought down by a high mortality in their first few years of life. Once a penguin gets to breeding age (2-3yrs) it will likely live into its teens. The oldest penguin we’ve recorded here was 26 years and 4 months old!
• • Little Penguins can spend up to four weeks out at sea at a time, so where do they sleep?! They will quite happily sleep out at sea, floating on the surface of the water, sleeping an average of four minutes at a time.
• • Little Penguins do not mate for life! They are socially monogamous within a breeding season, staying in the same burrow with the same partner. However, they are sexually promiscuous and both the male and female may visit other penguins. About 6.9% of the time males end up raising chicks that aren’t theirs. At the end of each breeding season there is a divorce rate between 18-50%.
• • Penguins have the highest velocity poo of any animal, projecting their poo up to 50cm! This means if they’re stuck in the burrow during the day they can safely project their poo outside, keeping them safe and their home clean.

The Australian little penguin occurs across Southern Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Jervis Bay Territory. Colonies primarily exist on offshore islands, where they are protected from feral terrestrial predators and human disturbance. Colonies are found from Port Stephens in northern New South Wales around the southern coast to Fremantle, Western Australia.

These books will give you more knowledge of Little Penguins.

• Little Penguin  by Greg Myers

• The Accidental Hotel  by Andrew Kelly and Dean Jones

• Flipper and Finnegan  by Sophie Cunningham and Anil Tortop

• Chooks in Dinner Suits  by Diane Jackson Hill and Craig Smith

• Pinquo  by Colin Thiele and Mary Milton

• A Home for Little Penguin  by Hannah Coates and Claire Neyland

•  The Little Penguins of Manly Wharf  by Felicity Pulman

•  Little Penguin  by Josie Montana  and Matt Ottley

• The Littlest Penguin  by The Penguin Foundation and Jedda Robaard

• Goodnight, Little Penguins  by The Penguin Foundation and Jedda Robaard

 • Little Penguins  by Rebecca Johnson and Steve Parish

•  The Fairy Penguin  by Tilda Kelly

• Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin by Belinda Murrell

• The Penguin Friend  by Lucy Sussex and Margaret Power