The world's smallest 5,200 penguins waddle on the beach in record parade

Thousands of the world's smallest penguins swarm ashore for an unprecedented parade on Phillip Island, Australia.

At sunset, thousands of tiny black and white birds come together to participate in the largest penguin parade on Phillip Island, Australia.

About 5,200 small penguins, with a maximum size of only 40 cm, cross the beach.

Phillip Island, Australia is home to a flock of small, black and white penguins. With a population of about 40,000, it is home to the largest colony of small penguins in the world.

Every day, at dusk, flocks of Phillip Island penguins swim ashore hunting fish, squid, mollusks and small crustaceans. They then move inland towards the nesting site. Locals call this the penguin parade , attracting a large number of tourists to visit and admire.

The island's natural park is where visitors can sit and watch the little penguins emerge from the water for about 50 minutes.

Naturalist Paula Wasiak said: "The little penguins have a habit of being active at night and at night. It's amazing that the appearance of little penguins is always maintained at one location in the world. over 450 years ago. This year, we couldn't believe our eyes when we saw more than 5,000 birds marching together in less than an hour."

To count the penguins, staff were stationed at four locations on their main "highway". Those are the only paths for penguins to get to the shore. Small black and white birds travel in groups, using the same path. During the 50-minute journey, the staff counted each bird that crossed the route

The previous record was set on the night of November 2021 when 4,435 small birds marched ashore at the same time.

This year, the birds have to gather at the coast more than foraging far away.

This year, the large parade that appeared in May was something out of the ordinary. According to experts, the influence of this year's La Niña phenomenon, strong trade winds sweeping across the Pacific Ocean, from South America to Indonesia, reduced the bird's offshore food supply and concentrated on shore.

Therefore, the birds have to congregate near the coast rather than foraging far away. Normally, when not breeding, the penguins will spend up to a month feeding at sea.

Abundant food near shore allows the penguins to prepare for fall spawning. Historically, the biggest parades will take place in November and December, the peak breeding season for birds.

Excellent breeding conditions and conservation efforts by the authority to improve dune structure and restore habitat contribute to the maintenance and increase of the penguin population on the island.