Rockhopper Penguin

Quick Take

• Scientists can't agree on whether rockhoppers are one species or three, and the reason that debate exists is stranger than you'd expect. Explore the species debate →
• Their scientific name translates to something surprisingly poetic, and that translation perfectly describes a hidden hunting superpower. See the hunting superpower →
• Rockhopper penguins seem loyal to their mates, though their relationship works nothing like you'd assume. Discover their mating habits →
• These penguins have more feathers than any other bird species, a record that exists for a very specific survival reason. See their record feather count →

Rockhopper penguins are a species of penguin that live off island coastlines in the Southern Hemisphere. They are one of the smallest species of penguins and are best known for their crest of long yellow feathers, as well as their bright red eyes. Rockhopper penguins are among the most numerous penguin species on Earth.

Incredible Rockhopper Penguin Facts

• Some scientists split these penguins into three species (southern, northern, and eastern), while others consider them one species.
• They are known for their bright red eyes and bright yellow head plumage.
• They can dive up to 330ft in search of prey at sea.
• Rockhopper penguins tend to return to the same partner each breeding season, though they separate after mating and are not permanently pair-bonded for life.
• These penguins are found all around the Southern Hemisphere, from the southern coast of South America all the way to New Zealand.

Evolution and Classification 

Rockhopper penguins belong to the genus Eudyptes. Each one of its member species, which number between four and seven depending on the taxonomic authority, is known for its black and white coloring, red beaks, and yellow tufts. They are also known for a wider variety of calls than other penguin species. 

The yellow-eyed penguin happens to be their closest relative, from which they separated during the Mid-Miocene, about 15 million years ago. Seven million years following that first separation, the genus separated into several different species.

Scientific Name

The rockhopper penguin’s scientific name is Eudyptes chrysocome. Eudyptes means ‘good diver’ in Greek, and the genus encompasses all the crested penguins, such as the macaroni penguin and the royal penguin. Chrysocome means “golden hair,” so the scientific name of these penguins means “golden-haired divers.”

Some scientists consider the rockhopper penguin to be one species of crested penguin. Other scientists divide the species up into three subspecies: Northern rockhopper penguin, southern rockhopper penguin, and eastern rockhopper penguin. Northern rockhopper penguins tend to be larger than the other two subspecies.

Types

The key differences between both subspecies of rockhopper penguin include their sizes, their breeding grounds, their parasites, as well as their mating rituals.

• Northern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes moseleyi): Larger than their southern relatives, these marine avians play unwitting hosts to Austrogoniodes concii parasites (a fact which helped scientists distinguish them from their southern relatives). Their breeding colonies are located on Amsterdam Island and St Paul Island in the Indian Ocean and Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome): The smaller avian subspecies, these penguins are capable of growing to 22 inches and up to 6.6 lbs — certain heavyweights are, however, capable of tipping the scales at 8 lbs. They provide sustenance to Austrogoniodes keleri lice and breed on the Falkland Islands as well as islands close to Patagonia. Other breeding grounds include the Antipodes Islands, the Auckland Islands, the Crozet Islands, and the Kerguelen Islands.

Appearance

All species of these penguins have long yellow and black crest feathers, red eyes, and a ruddy, red-colored beak. At slightly less than 2 feet in height, these penguins are a few inches taller than a bowling pin. Males are slightly bigger than females. These penguins weigh about 5.5lbs; they are the smallest species of crested penguins.

These penguins have the traditional black and white coloring of most penguins, with a black tuxedo covering most of their bodies except for their round white bellies. They have bold stripes above their eyes, called superciliary stripes. The Northern penguins have more prominent crests than the southern species.

Their chicks are mostly black and gray with black beaks, which turn brighter red and orange as they age. Juvenile penguins look like their adult counterparts, save for patches of gray feathers beneath their chin. Some juveniles do not possess superciliary stripes at all.

Behavior

These penguins nest along rocky shorelines, hence the name rockhopper penguin. Most penguin species slide around on their bellies, but these penguins prefer to jump among the rocks where they live. They prefer dense patches of grass called tussocks for breeding and nesting.

Like most species of penguins, they are built for swimming. They use their wings to propel themselves through shallow water, though they also venture into deeper waters. These penguins can dive up to 300 ft below the surface and swim around 4 mph underwater. When it is time to return to shore, rockhopper penguins can launch themselves out of the water and land on their bellies on the beach.

Habitat

All rockhopper penguins are found on islands surrounding Antarctica and New Zealand, as well as the southern tip of South America. The northern species of this penguin lives on Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha, as well as islands in the Indian Ocean. The eastern variety of rockhopper penguin lives on the Auckland Islands and other islands surrounding New Zealand, as well as the southern French territories and Prince Edward Island and Marion Island near South Africa. The southern rockhopper penguin thrives on islands off the southernmost coast of Chile and Argentina.

Diet

These penguins are carnivores, and their diet mostly consists of krill. They also eat other small crustaceans, as well as squid.

To hunt, these penguins will stay at sea for days at a time, diving deep for krill. They have a layer of fat that keeps them afloat and warm in the cold ocean. Like other penguin species, rockhopper penguins have densely overlapping feathers that lock out moisture. They have the most feathers of any bird species.

To further aid hunting, these penguins’ red eyes can adjust to see both above and below the water’s surface. They can also sleep while afloat at sea.

Predators and Threats

These penguins have no land-dwelling predators, but they have much to fear in the sea as well as from other species of birds. They fall prey to orca whales, blue sharks, fur seals, and leopard seals. Though these penguins fiercely defend their young, baby penguins often fall victim to shorebirds like fulmars, skuas, and kelp gulls.

Rockhopper penguins are threatened by humans as well. Rising global temperatures due to climate change reduce prey availability, causing the penguins to decline because they cannot find enough to eat. Overfishing and oil spills both contribute to the shortage of prey. These penguins can also accidentally be caught in fishing nets. Of the three subspecies, the northern rockhopper is the most at risk.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

The mating season for these penguins is from early spring to late summer. Penguins arrive onshore, with male penguins typically arriving before the female penguins. Like most penguin species, they tend to return to the same mate each breeding season. The male and female try to find each other by calling out to one another. They typically locate the same nesting site they used in previous years. Males begin to breed at ages 4 to 5, while females start at ages 5 to 6. These penguins incubate their eggs for about four months. As the penguins nest in their tussocks, the parents take turns incubating the eggs. They are very aggressive and defend their eggs by pecking and squawking at anything that draws near.

Northern rockhopper penguins nest in smaller colonies than their southern counterparts. The size of northern penguin colonies ranges from about 25,000 to 65,000 individuals. Southern penguins, however, nest in colonies of up to 130,000 penguins. This difference in colony size might explain why southern penguins tend to raise two chicks per season. The northern species lay two eggs, but under normal circumstances, only one survives.

The rockhopper penguin parents guard their babies, called chicks, until they are about a month old. At this point, the chicks leave the tussocks to join other young penguins in protective groups called crèches. After they are about 66 days old, the penguins are ready to fend for themselves.

These penguins live to be about 10 years old in the wild. However, some of the oldest rockhopper penguins live to be 30 years old. As they age, they are more susceptible to predators.

Population

It is estimated that there are about 1.5 million pairs of these penguins worldwide. The species, especially the northern rockhopper penguin, has seen a decline over the last 30 years. The IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species has classified the northern penguins as endangered due to rapid population decline, while the southern penguins are listed as “vulnerable.”

In the Zoo

Currently, there are about 317 of these penguins in zoos across North America. Many prominent zoos feature these penguins, and they are found in many different aquariums as well.

At the Saint Louis Zoo, southern rockhopper penguins are found at their Penguin and Puffin Coast exhibit. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens have raised these penguin chicks. And the Indianapolis Zoo features these penguins in their Oceans exhibit and puts on live demonstrations of penguin feeding, where guests can watch the penguins catch food underwater.