Blue Penguin Colonies

Look for penguin prints like these on your beach

On the West Coast blue penguin colonies can be found near towns, and on our most remote beaches. Colonies are small, many have less than five pairs, the largest have 20-40 pairs.

Penguins commonly nest in dunes, coastal forest, farmland and rocky areas up to 200m inland. Colonies can be found up to 500m upstream from river mouths – well within common whitebaiting zones.

The nest in burrows, caves, rocky crevices, tree roots, and nesting boxes. It is common to see penguins nesting under baches and houses close to the sea.

Blue penguins can be found walking across the beach, between their nest and the sea, in the hour after dusk and, just before dawn. They are known to cross the road to get to their burrows so are very vulnerable to fast moving traffic.


Critical times of the year

Blue penguins can be found on West Coast beaches for much of the year, whether they are breeding or moulting.

A typical penguin burrow near the Nile River