The Folkestone Penguin is a social media sensation you may not have been expecting in 2021.

But while temperatures have dived in recent days the black and white bird snapped perched on pebbles on the Kent coast was not what it appeared to be.

It was photographed on Folkestone Beach on Wednesday and appeared on the Facebook page of pets specialist Donna Nettleship.

She told KentOnline the seabird was in fact a guillemot and had been taken to be checked by a veterinary surgery in Lympne.

By 8am today her post had attracted 997 comments ad 1,900 shares.

Commentators on her page debated what sort of bird it was.They dismissed the notion that it could be a penguin because it had the wrong kind of beak and they are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

They finally agreed it was a guillemot, which is found in cliff areas of southern England.

Ricky Gee said: "Definitely a guillemot, there are a few nesting sites on cliffs around the south coast so he's probably not too far from home."

However Daniel McFazdean joked: "What, really? Are you sure they haven't painted a seagull?"

Damien Weaver said: "He's brave risking Covid."

Keith-Karen Warman quipped: "Where's his mask?"

Adam Rogers said: "Omg. That's amazing. Hope the little fella was OK."

Guillemot is the common name for several species of seabird in the auk family.

It has not yet been specified exactly which type this one is.

These birds form dense colonies on cliffs during the mating season,

The name comes from Guillaume, French for William.

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone