THE BLUE PENGUIN

There are 17 different species of penguins, most of them living in huge colonies called

rookeries along the coast of Antarctica and nearby island. Penguins are superb swimmers,

using their wings as flippers to push them through the water, and steering with their webbed

feet. Penguins have coats waterproofed with oil and thick fat so they can survive in

temperatures as low as -600 C.

Penguins can leap high out of the water to the land on an ice bank, but on land they

can only waddle clumsily or toboggan along on their bellies.

The blue or little penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known in Maori as korora, can be

found in many places around New Zealand and Southern Australia and is the world's smallest

penguin. They only come ashore under the cover of darkness and live underground in

burrows. Although quite common, its small size and unusual habits make it rarely seen.

The blue penguin stands just 25 cm tall and weighs a little over 1 kilogram. The

plumage is slate-blue with a bright white belly. Juveniles are indistinguishable from adults.

Both sexes are alike, although the male is a little heavier and usually has a larger bill.

There are several distinct races of blue penguins and some argue that they should be

split up into sub-species. Perhaps the most distinct is the "white-flippered" penguin of

Canterbury; however genetic tests have shown it not to be as distinct as its plumage would

suggest.

Blue penguins make a variety of calls to keep in contact at sea (barks), declare

territory and advertise for mates (brays) and to let the neighbors know they are home (croon).

The only call chicks make is a high pitch peeping as they beg for food. Artificial nest boxes

are readily adopted.

Blue penguins breed underground in burrows or natural holes, although they will
make use of any man-made cavity. Near human habitation it is not uncommon to find them

nesting under buildings, stacks of timber or even railway tracks.

Blue penguins in New Zealand have rather variable breeding seasons. The core egg-

laying period for most of New Zealand is September to November, and only one clutch is

laid. In good food years, blue penguins in Otago will egg-lay from May to February, with

many pairs raising two clutches of chicks.

Usually two eggs are laid and are incubated for 36 days, with both parents sharing the

incubation and feeding duties. The chicks are guarded by one parent for the first 2-3 weeks,

after which both parents must go to sea to keep up the supply of fish. Chick growth is rapid,

with adult weight (1000g) being achieved in 4-5 weeks. Chicks usually fledge at 8 weeks and

are independent from then on.

Blue penguins usually breed for the first time at 2-3 years of age. Long term

partnerships are the norm, but divorce is not uncommon. There is a high rate of juvenile

mortality, but individuals can reach up to 25 years of age.

Blue penguins are very faithful to their home site. Chicks will often return to within a

few meters of where they were raised and once settled in an area never move away. A small

number (<1%) of juveniles disperse to other breeding sites.

Blue penguins feed on a variety of surface schooling fish, squid and crustaceans.

Although dive depths of 60m have been recorded, 10-20m is more common. The average

dive time is 24 seconds. Blue penguins usually feed within 25km of the coast and may make

daily round-trips of up to 75km. Long winter feeding trips of up to 750 km (one way) have

been recorded. Blue penguins can reach speeds of up to 6km/hr underwater.

Predation by introduced mustelids (ferrets, stoats, and weasels) has decimated many

mainland colonies. In publicly accessible areas, dogs have been major predators - particularly

of penguins returning from the sea. At Chatham and Stewart Islands, the southern brown skua
also attacks blue penguins returning from the sea.

The population and range of the species has been declining in areas not protected

from predation, resulting in the NZ Department of Conservation ranking the blue penguin as

"Lower risk - near threatened". Where predator control is in place, populations have been

stable or increasing. Nest boxes have been useful in some habitat restoration efforts.

Because blue penguins are only active on land at night they can be hard to view,

however there are places one can view them.

The sources are:

Farndon, John. 2002. 1000 Think You Should Know about Wild Animal page 20th. United

Kingdom: Grolier Danbury.

New Zealand Penguins, Blue Penguin

(www.penguin.net.nz)

(Thursday, May 2nd 2008, at about 04.00 p.m.)

The Questions:

1. The main idea of paragraph 3 is . . .

A. The blue or little penguin (Eudyptula minor) can be found in many places around

New Zealand and Southern Australia

B. The blue penguin is the world’s smallest penguin.

C. The little penguin known in Maori as korora.

D. The blue penguins live underground in burrows.

E. The blue penguin also called Eudyptula minor.

Answer: B

2. “Although they will make use of any man-made cavity.” (paragraph 7) The word

“they” refers to . . .

A. natural holes

B. burrows

C. Penguin

D. Blue penguins

E. Penguins

Answer: D

3. The synonym of the word “rookeries” in paragraph 1 is . . .

 A. Breeding

B. Colony

C. Breeding of rooks

D. Blue penguin’s colonies

E. A breeding colony of seabirds

Answer: E

4. What is text mainly about?

A. Blue penguin’s habitat restoration efforts.

B. Blue penguins in New Zealand have rather variable breeding seasons.

C. Blue penguins have waterproofed so they can survive in temperatures as low as

-600 C.

D. Brown skua attacks blue penguins returning from the sea.

E. The blue penguin can be found in many places around New Zealand and Southern

Australia and is the world's smallest penguin.

Answer: E

5. What the main problem in the text?

A. Predation by introduced mustelids has decimated many mainland colonies.

B. Blue penguins are only active on land at night they can be hard to view.

C. Brown skua attacks blue penguins returning from the sea.

D. Nest boxes have been useful in some habitat restoration efforts.

E. The blue penguin is so rare and it must be protected.

Answer: A