Martin from the early 1990’s with a penguin on Bowen Island

Little penguins are truly amazing birds as the recent recovery of a band from a dead bird on Gabo Island reveals.

I banded the bird as a fledgling on Bowen Island in Jervis Bay in July 1989, almost 22 years ago. It is the longest period from banding to recovery I know, they generally live around 8 years!

This little penguin’s marathon effort was no means the longest distance from Bowen that a banded penguin had been recovered. This feat goes to a bird recovered in the Coorong, South Australia, some 1,175 kilometres from the island — unlike the wandering albatross renowned for foraging over mind boggling distances, the little penguin is such a small bird, and it can’t fly!

Most banding of little penguins stopped in 1997 in favour of implanted microchips.

Martin, Booderee National Park