This is the smallest yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin,
reaching a length of 55cm. It has slate-grey upperparts and a
straight, bright yellow eyebrow ending in long yellowish plumes
projecting sideways behind a red eye. It breeds in colonies,
from sea-level to cliff-tops, and sometimes inland. It feeds
on krill, squid, octopus, fish and crustaceans.
The Rockhopper Penguin has a population of about 3.5 million
pairs. The nominate race chrysocome breeds on the Falkland Islands,
and on islands off Argentina and southern Chile. The subspecies
moseleyi breeds on islands in Tristan da Cunha, and Amsterdam
and St Paul Islands. The subspecies filholi breeds on the Prince
Edward Islands, the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, Heard
Island, Macquarie Island, and Campbell, New Zealand and Antipodes
Islands.
Drop in Rockhopper Penguin Population
The status of this species is vulnerable due to a fall of 24%
in its population in the last thirty years.
As their name suggests, they spend their time hopping over rocks.
When they were discovered the explorers were amused when they
saw the penguins jumping all over the place.
The scientific name for the Rockhopper penguin is sometimes
given as Eudyptes crestatus.
Scientific Classification of The Rockhopper Penguin