<P> Like those of all penguins, the little penguin's wings have developed into flippers used for swimming . The little penguin typically grows to between 30 and 33 cm (12 and 13 in) tall and usually weighs about 1.5 kg on average (3.3 lb). The head and upper parts are blue in colour, with slate - grey ear coverts fading to white underneath, from the chin to the belly . Their flippers are blue in colour . The dark grey - black beak is 3--4 cm long, the irises pale silvery - or bluish - grey or hazel, and the feet pink above with black soles and webbing . An immature individual will have a shorter bill and lighter upperparts . </P> <P> Like most seabirds, they have a long lifespan . The average for the species is 6.5 years, but flipper ringing experiments show in very exceptional cases up to 25 years in captivity . </P> <P> The little penguin breeds along the entire coastline of New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, and southern Australia (including roughly 20,000 pairs on Babel Island). Australian colonies exist in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia . Little penguins have also been reported from Chile (where they are known as pingüino pequeño or pingüino azul) (Isla Chañaral 1996, Playa de Santo Domingo, San Antonio, 16 March 1997) and South Africa, but it is unclear whether these birds were vagrants . As new colonies continue to be discovered, rough estimates of the world population are around 350,000 - 600,000 animals . </P> <P> Overall, little penguin populations in New Zealand have been decreasing . Some colonies have gone extinct and others continue to be at risk . Some new colonies have been established in urban areas . The species is not considered endangered in New Zealand, with the exception of the white - flippered subspecies found only on Banks Peninsula and nearby Motunau Island . Since the 1960s, the mainland population has declined by 60 - 70%; though a small increase has occurred on Motunau Island . </P>

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