5 Little Blue Penguin Chicks Hatch This Season At Birch Aquarium

SAN DIEGO, CA — Five little blue penguin chicks hatched this season at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, the aquarium announced this week. They were the first chicks hatched since the aquarium welcomed little blue penguins in 2022.

"It's so exciting to introduce these juveniles to the colony as they are curious and adventurous and a delight to watch explore their new home through diving and socializing," said Kayla Strate, assistant curator of birds at Birch Aquarium. "This is a huge milestone for Birch Aquarium as it's our first successful contribution to an Association of Zoos and Aquariums avian breeding program."

The first chick hatched on New Year's Day in the aquarium's Penguin Care and Conservation Center in Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins, according to Birch Aquarium. The two middle chicks hatched on Jan. 23 and Jan. 26, and the two youngest chicks hatched on Feb. 18 and Feb. 20.

Four of the chicks are male. The aquarium is still awaiting confirmation of the sex of the youngest one.

The aquarium's Penguin Care Team worked to provide each chick with care, from recording observations to adjusting breeding plans, according to Birch Aquarium.

"This has been our goal since before our penguin exhibit was even imagined," Strate said. "It truly took expert-level skills to successfully raise our little penguins by hand, and I am so proud of my team for rising to the challenge."

Around the three-month mark, each chick joined the rest of the aquarium's penguin colony, which includes birds from five different zoos and aquariums.

Also see:

• Birch Aquarium Opens Exhibit For World's Smallest Penguins
• 5 Little Blue Penguins Moved From Birch Aquarium To Cincinnati Zoo
• 5 Penguins Get New Home For The Holidays At Birch Aquarium
• West Coast's First Little Blue Penguin Hatches At Birch Aquarium