Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE PENGUINS

The little Blue Penguin

The smallest of the Penguins are comprised in the genus Eudyptula, of which two species are known. Of these we may mention the little Blue Penguin (E. minor) of the coasts of South Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Chatham Islands.

It is slate-blue above and pure white below, and is without streaks or crests on the head; its length is about sixteen inches. It breeds in large numbers on islands in Cook Strait and Bass's Strait, and appears to take great pains in constructing paths and avenues through the breeding grounds, carefully removing all sticks, stones, and herbage. The other species (E. albosignata) is similar but slightly larger and has both outer and inner instead of only the inner margins of the”flipper”margined with white; it is confined to the coasts of New Zealand.]

The remaining genus (Spheniscus) embraces four species, and may be known by the rather long, stout bill, the basal portion of which is furrowed by many longitudinal ridges; there is also a well-developed white eyebrow stripe. Of these the Cape Penguin (S. demersus) occurs on the coasts of South Africa, and the others about the coasts of South America, the Galapagos and Falkland Islands.

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