Penguin Facts for Kids from the Kangaroo Island Adventure at Wonder Rotunda
This material about Little Blue Penguins is drawn from the "Learn More" reading opportunities in the Kangaroo Island Adventure at the Wonder Rotunda, an on-line educational theme park for ages 7-12.
Little Blue Penguins
The Little Blue Penguin is the world's smallest penguin species. Little Blues stand about 9 inches tall and weigh about 2 and a half pounds.
As we've learned Little Blue Penguins build nests in rocky burrows. Typically the female lays two white eggs during fall and winter, two or three days apart. The male and females take turns sitting on them to keep them warm. In 36 days, the eggs usually hatch.
The young chicks are guarded by one parent, while the other goes into the sea to collect food. The food they feed their chicks is regurgitated, which means the food comes out of the parent's stomach where it had been stored. The chicks are ready to leave the nest when they are about 57 days old.
Leaving the nest to go out into the sea for the first time on their own is known as fledging.
The feathers on a Little Blue are very thick which keeps the penguin warm and insulated when swimming in cold waters. Once a year, after the breeding season, the penguins shed all of their feathers and they are replaced with new feathers over a two week period. This is called molting.
About Wonder Rotunda
The Wonder Rotunda is am online educational theme park (for ages 7-12) that sparks curiosity, helps kids find their interests and passions, and inspires them to think about making a mark in the world. Topics explored include marine life, space exploration, animal life, classical music, nutrition, American government, globalization, climate change, money and business, the visual and performing arts, film making and climate change. Take the Free Tour.
About the Kangaroo Island Moonlight Adventure
A moonlit speedboat ride across a rocky channel on your way out to Kangaroo Island sets the stage for this adventure. Once on the island, using special flashlights to find nocturnal animals, you learn about Koalas, Wallabies and Kangaroos. Later that night, you’ll watch quietly as a colony Little Blue Penguins swim ashore to feed their hungry chicks. Your adventure concludes with a visit to a colony of Australian Sea Lions.