Something adorable (and historic) has happened at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. For the first time ever, the aquarium has a Little Blue Penguin chick that was successfully raised entirely by its parents in the Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins exhibit. This is a huge win for the breeding program and a great sign for the future of these tiny swimming birds.
The first Little Blue Penguin to be raised by its parents
While the aquarium has welcomed chicks for 3 years since the exhibit opened in 2022, this new arrival marks a major milestone. In previous years, chicks were hand-reared by the care team to ensure their survival. This season, however, a young penguin pair showed strong promise – so the team decided to let them take the wheel – and they absolutely crushed it.
The parents took turns incubating the egg for about 5 weeks, sharing duties to keep it warm. The team went on pip-watch as the big day approached. Finally, on December 23, the little one made its debut.
How’s the little one doing now?
Since hatching, the chick has been on a serious growth spurt. It started at a tiny 38 grams and skyrocketed to over 1000 grams in just a few weeks. The parents have been handling the feeding duties traditionally. That’s by gobbling up fish provided by keepers and then regurgitating it for the baby.
The chick is in the fledging stage, swapping its fluffy down for waterproof feathers. It’s been moved behind the scenes to master essential life skills, like swimming.
Can we see the Little Blue Penguin at the Birch Aquarium?
Currently, the care team is slowly getting it used to human friends, introducing it to hand-feeding and routine exams. While you can’t see the little guy in the exhibit just yet, the aquarium promises plenty of updates on their social media channels as it prepares to rejoin the colony. Stay tuned!