What is the Little Penguins breeding cycle?
The little penguin will lay breed up to three times per year. Throughout November the adult Penguins fatten up for the moulting season. At the end of November the adult Penguins send their young out to sea to begin their adult lives and then they begin to moult. The adults spend three weeks in the burrow living on their own body fat and replacing the old feathers with the new, meticulously oiling the new feathers for optimum waterproof coats at sea. When the moulting is complete, the penguins then spend up to six weeks at sea and travel as far as Tasmania in their search for food. In early March the penguins begin to prepare their burrows for breeding and both the male and female take turns to incubate the eggs. Two eggs are usually laid and by April the chicks are hatched from the eggs. The chicks are fed daily by either or both parents and feed on regurgitated fish. The chicks are ready for their first trip to sea at 8 weeks of age and must be prepared to travel for up to 24 hours be
