1. Egg:
- Female penguins lay 1-2 eggs that are incubated by both parents for about 36 days.
2. Chick:
- Chicks hatch and are brooded by their parents for the first few weeks.
- They are fed by regurgitated food from their parents.
3. Crèche:
- At around 3-4 weeks old, the chicks join a "crèche", a group of young penguins guarded by a few adults.
4. Fledging:
- After about 2 months, the chicks grow their adult feathers and are ready to swim and forage on their own.
5. Independent:
- The independent penguins leave the colony and head out to sea where they will spend most of their adult lives, diving for fish and squid during the day and returning to shore at night.
6. Breeding:
- At around 2-3 years old, little blue penguins are sexually mature and can start breeding.