Little penguins live along the southern coast of Australia and the coasts of New Zealand. They are the smallest penguin species in the world, and these two countries make up their entire native range. Within that range, they occupy a surprising variety of habitats, from remote rocky islands to urban waterfronts.
Range Across Australia
In Australia, little penguins are found throughout the southern coastline, stretching from Western Australia across South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, and up the east coast as far north as South Solitary Island off New South Wales. The most significant colonies in New South Wales sit on Barunguba (Montague Island), Tollgate Island, and Brush Island. One of the most well-known breeding colonies in the state is located right in the Sydney suburb of Manly, where penguins nest just minutes from one of Australia’s busiest cities.
Phillip Island in Victoria is home to one of the most famous little penguin colonies in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to watch the nightly “penguin parade” as birds return from the sea. Another notable colony of roughly 1,400 little penguins lives at the St Kilda Pier and Breakwater in Melbourne, where the birds nest in gaps between the rocks of a man-made structure right on the city’s waterfront.
Range Across New Zealand
New Zealand hosts several subspecies of little penguin, known locally as kororā. They are distributed around both the North and South Islands and on several offshore island groups, including the Chatham Islands. One distinctive population, the white-flippered penguin, breeds specifically on Motunau Island and the Banks Peninsula on the eastern side of the South Island. These birds disperse locally around the eastern South Island coast but remain closely tied to that region.
Where They Nest on Land
Little penguins are coastal birds that come ashore to breed, rest, and molt. Their traditional nesting sites are underground burrows, rock crevices, caves, and sheltered spots beneath coastal vegetation. They are small enough (about 30 centimeters tall) to squeeze into tight spaces that larger predators cannot easily access.
Since human settlement expanded along the coast, little penguins have proven remarkably adaptable. They now also nest under houses and boat sheds, inside stormwater pipes, and between stacks of timber. At St Kilda in Melbourne, the entire colony nests within the gaps of a stone breakwater originally built for boats, not birds. This flexibility has allowed little penguins to persist in places where other wildlife has been pushed out, though it also puts them in close contact with people, pets, and traffic.
Where They Go at Sea
Little penguins spend their days out in the water hunting small fish, squid, and crustaceans. They are inshore feeders compared to many penguin species, typically foraging in relatively shallow coastal and continental shelf waters rather than venturing into the deep ocean. During breeding season, parents need to return to shore each evening to feed their chicks, which limits how far they can travel. Foraging trips during this period generally stay within a few tens of kilometers of the colony.
Outside breeding season, little penguins have more freedom to roam and may spend extended periods at sea without returning to land. Even then, they remain in the temperate waters around southern Australia and New Zealand rather than migrating long distances.
Living Alongside People
Few penguin species share space with humans as closely as little penguins do. Colonies exist in suburban neighborhoods, working harbors, and popular beaches. The Manly colony in Sydney, the St Kilda colony in Melbourne, and numerous coastal towns in New Zealand all host penguins that waddle past parked cars and garden fences on their way to and from the sea each night.
This proximity creates both opportunities and problems. Tourism around little penguin colonies generates significant conservation funding and public interest. At St Kilda, an elevated viewing platform was built after managers realized that previous visitor access had unintentionally disturbed nesting sites. In New Zealand, the Department of Conservation works with coastal communities to manage lighting, dogs, and vehicle traffic near known nesting areas. Artificial nest boxes are installed in many locations to give penguins safe alternatives when natural burrow sites are limited or degraded.
Predation by dogs, cats, and foxes remains one of the biggest threats to colonies near populated areas. Habitat loss from coastal development also reduces the amount of suitable nesting terrain. On the water, fishing nets and pollution pose additional risks. Despite these pressures, little penguins remain widespread across their range, and well-managed colonies in both Australia and New Zealand continue to hold stable or growing populations.