Southern Rockhopper

Eudyptes chrysocome

The southern rockhopper penguin is the smallest of the crested penguin species, with a body length between 45 and 55 centimeters and is recognized by the yellow stripes above each eye and yellow head feathers.  The species has a circumpolar distribution breeding on islands in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.  During breeding season they forage close to nesting sites, but are migratory after chicks fledge.  For instance, birds that nest on the Falkland Islands migrate east of southern South America.  The species is considered vulnerable by IUCN with a population of 2.5 million individuals but is declining throughout most of its range. 

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For more information on southern rockhopper penguin natural history visit the Global Penguin Society at https://www.globalpenguinsociety.org/portfolio-species-7.html    
 

For more information on southern rockhopper penguin conservation status visit the IUCN Red List page at https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22735250/182762377