![]() ![]() It occurs in subantarctic waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as around the southern coasts of South America. The southern rockhopper penguin group ( Eudyptes chrysocome), is a species of rockhopper penguin, that is sometimes considered distinct from the northern rockhopper penguin. Aptenodytes chrysocome J.R.Forster, 1781.The status of the Rockhopper penguin is vulnerable due to a fall of 24% in its population in the last thirty years.Green: western subspecies, blue: eastern subspecies On land, eggs and chicks are eaten by many birds, including skuas, petrels and Kelp gulls. Rockhopper Penguin PredatorsĪt sea, Rockhopper penguins are eaten by blue sharks, leopard seals and fur seals. Rockhopper Penguins have an average life span of 10 years. The chicks molt and leave for the open sea when they are 65 to 72 days old. ![]() The chicks do this for warmth and protection. When the chick is about 4 weeks old they huddle with other chicks. When the chick is hatched the male broods and cares for the chick while the female fishes and brings home food. They take turns with each taking care of the eggs for 10 days at a time. The male and female Rockhopper Penguin guard the eggs and keep them warm for 32 to 34 days. The second egg is larger and the chick that hatches from this egg has a better chance of surviving. The first egg is smaller and often gets eaten by predators. Rockhopper Penguins make their nests by scraping a hole in the ground and lining it with dried grasses. As well as vocalizing, these birds communicate by head shaking, head and flipper waving, bowing, gesturing and preening. Fierce competition for nesting materials, mating partners and territory all contribute to the cacophony of sound at these sites. Rockhopper Penguin colonies are often relatively small compared with other penguin species but what they lack in size they make up for in noise. The Rockhopper penguin feeds on krill, squid, octopus, fish, molluscs, plankton, cuttlefish and crustaceans. Rockhopper Penguins get their name because they hop over rocks and crevices on the shores where they live. They are quick to attack anyone or anything that bothers them. Rockhopper Penguins are loud, noisy and feisty birds. The Rockhopper Penguin has slate-grey upper parts and a straight, bright yellow eyebrow ending in long yellowish plumes projecting sideways behind a red eye. For camouflage from predators, their under parts are mostly white, while the upper parts are blue-black. Like all penguins, Rockhopper Penguins have a big head, a short, thick neck, a streamlined shape, a short, wedge-shaped tail and strong, stiff, flipper-like wings. The top of the head has spiked black feathers. The Rockhopper penguins are distinguished from the Macaroni penguin and other members of the crested species by their smaller size and the thin, vivid yellow tassels which extend along the sides of the brow but do not meet between the eyes. Male and female Rockhopper Penguins are very similar in appearance, though males are larger. Rockhopper Penguins have distinctive crest feathers on their heads, bright orange-red beaks and tiny blood red eyes. The Rockhopper penguin is the smallest yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin, reaching a length of 55 centimetres and weighing 5 to 8 pounds. The scientific name for the Southern Rockhopper Penguin is (Eudyptes chrysocome). The major colonies on the Falkland Islands are estimated to have over 3 million breeding pairs. Rockhopper Penguins breed in colonies, from sea-level to cliff-tops and sometimes inland. Rockhopper Penguins are a sub-Antarctic species breeding at cool, southern localities such as Macquarie Island, the Falklands, Campbell Island, Tristan da Cunha and the Antipodes. The Southern Rockhopper Penguin or just Rockhopper Penguin, is a species of penguin closely related to the Macaroni Penguin. ![]()
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