Little blue penguin parents Sheila and Spud at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J., have welcomed a healthy male hatchling. The chick hatched 15 February, weighing in at 37 grams.
Since his hatch date, the littlest member of the little blue colony has spent his time on exhibit, settling in and learning the ropes from his parents. At about three weeks old, the chick will be taken behind the scenes to learn how to take fish from the biologists and grow his water-proofed adult plumage for swimming. The new chick has yet to get his official moniker, but penguin lovers can stay tuned for a name reveal in the coming weeks.
“We are beyond excited to welcome yet another chick to our little blue penguin colony,” said Adventure Aquarium Executive Director, Molly Deese. “Our animal husbandry team is so dedicated to caring for our collection of birds, and successful breeding seasons, as we’ve seen over the past several years, are a direct testament to the hard work that goes into caring for our animals.”
This is the first season that parents Sheila and Spud have come together as a breeding pair. Little blue penguins are one of the few species of penguin that are not monogamous.
During the 2022 breeding season, Sheila paired with fellow colony member Phillip, which resulted in the successful hatching of the chick’s older sister Adelaide, who celebrated her first hatch day last week. The new chick is also joined on exhibit by his half-sisters, Elanora, Aroha, and Phoenix.
Photos Credit: © Adventure Aquarium
Edited by Sarah Gilsoul, a writer and communications program assistant at AZA
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