Rockhoppers have a black crest and yellow feathers which form extended `eyebrows’ that dangle behind the eyes.
These penguins are very vocal. Throwing their heads back, they `bray’ during courtship, to locate chicks, or warn others to stay away.
They are aggressive birds and will attack anything that bothers them. During fights, they slap each other with their flippers.
The Rock Hoppers
Rockhopper penguins are so named because of their ability to hop over rocks and boulders, sometimes reaching heights of up to 1.8m.
They have very powerful legs for hopping and strong feet to grasp slippery and steep rocky surfaces along shorelines. Their powerful tail acts as a counterbalance when they leap.
Epic Voyages
Rockhopper penguins are lesser known for the epic voyages they make — each year, they spend six months at sea, swimming continuously to achieve one of the longest foraging trips made by animals.
In the six months, they swim over two million square kilometres — an incredible feat in deadly cold water!
Doomed Eggs
A female rockhopper penguin lays two eggs in a clutch. The first egg is smaller than the second, and it is always doomed! The mother might push it out of her nest or not incubate it.
Very rarely do both eggs hatch, even so the smaller chick from the first egg inevitably dies soon after.
Both parents care for the chick for about 70 days before leaving to forage at sea. The chick joins a creche.
Together, we protect wildlife
Endangered
The population of the Northern Rockhopper Penguin on the decline. Threats include oil spills, decrease in food sources and climate change.
In 2011, a cargo ship ran aground. Thousands of penguins were affected by the oil spill and rescue efforts saved only a few hundred.
An action plan has been drawn through efforts of conservationists and other stakeholders to save this endangered species.
The IUCN Status
EN
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
DD
Data Deficient
Unknown risk of extinction
LC
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
NT
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
EN
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
CR
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
EW
Extinct in the Wild
Survives only in captivity
EX
Extinct
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity