One of the 15 penguins on WAnimals
Birds · Sphenisciformes · Spheniscidae
Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Eudyptes chrysocome
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The southern rockhopper penguin is one of the most recognisable crested penguins: yellow eyebrows ending in ragged plumes and intensely red eyes. It owes its name to the way it moves: instead of walking like other penguins, it climbs the cliffs in hops with both feet together, scaling enormous slopes from the sea up to the colonies.
Weight
2 kg – 3.4 kg
Size
45 cm – 58 cm
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- locomociónIt gets about the coastal rocks by hopping with both feet together rather than walking, which is unusual among penguins.
- It climbs the cliffs in hops with both feet together, covering slopes of more than a hundred metres from the surf up to the colony, a way of moving that is unique among penguins.
- It dives head first into the surf and leaves the water by letting the waves throw it against the rock, gripping with its claws: a brutal way in and out that causes a fair number of injuries.
- Its population has fallen by more than a third in three generations, mainly through changes in food availability linked to the warming of the Southern Ocean.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Steep rocky coasts of subantarctic islands of the South Atlantic and southern South America
- Sexual maturity
- 4 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 33 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 2 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudyptes_chrysocome
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 15 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Southern Rockhopper Penguin — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
VulnerableMacaroni Penguin
Eudyptes chrysolophus
Least ConcernMagellanic Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
Least ConcernChinstrap Penguin
Pygoscelis antarcticus
Least ConcernKing Penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
Royal Penguin
Eudyptes schlegeli
Yellow-eyed Penguin
Megadyptes antipodes
How to help
The southern rockhopper penguin is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 5 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about southern rockhopper penguin.
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