Birch Aquarium Marks Milestone With First Parent-Reared Penguin Chick

SAN DIEGO, CA — Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is celebrating a new milestone in their Little Blue Penguin breeding program.

For the first time, a penguin chick has been raised and reared by its parents on habitat in Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins Exhibit.

"Every breeding season, our team carefully evaluates individual penguin pairs for raising their own chicks," said Kayla Strate, Birch Aquarium's assistant curator of birds. "We weigh various factors such as past incubation history, nest location and colony behavior while also recording observations daily so we can make smart management decisions."

This season, a young pair bonded, resulting in the female laying two eggs.

"Since this pair showed strong promise, our team decided to have them incubate and rear one of the eggs. They ended up being very successful," Strate said. "It's been a delight to watch them care for and protect their chick under our team's watchful eyes."

The incubation period lasted about five weeks, with both parents taking turns caring for the eggs, according to Birch Aquarium. The penguin‑reared chick hatched in its breeding box on Dec. 23, and the second chick hatched on Dec. 25 in the aquarium's Penguin Care and Conservation Center.

Since opening the exhibit in 2022, the aquarium has welcomed penguin chicks for three consecutive years. Little Blue Penguins are about 12 inches tall and weigh 2 to 3 pounds. They are known for their slate-blue plumage.

Little Blue Penguin chicks nearly triple in size during their first few weeks. At its first weigh-in, the first parent-reared penguin chick weighed only 38 grams, and within just a few weeks, it had grown to 1,000 grams.

Guests are not able to view the chick while it continues to grow. Fans can follow the aquarium's social media channels for updates.