Rockhopper Penguin

The Rockhopper Penguin is one of the smallest crested penguins, instantly recognizable by its punk-rock appearance: a spray of stiff yellow and black feather plumes above bright red eyes, set against a glossy black head and back and clean white underside.

True to its name, this species does not waddle across flat ground like many of its relatives. Instead, it navigates the steep, rocky, surf-lashed coastlines of its island homes by hopping with both feet together, bounding up cliffs and boulder fields to reach its nesting colonies.

Despite its small size, the Rockhopper is a tenacious and aggressive bird, quick to defend its nest site with sharp pecks and loud calls.

Key field marks

• Small size with a stubby reddish-orange bill
• Bright red eyes
• Yellow eyebrow-stripe that extends into long, drooping spiky plumes over each eye
• Black upperparts, white underparts, pink feet

Similar species

• Macaroni Penguin and Royal Penguin are larger with crests that meet in the middle of the forehead rather than staying separated.
• Fiordland and Snares Penguins lack the sharply defined yellow eyebrow stripe and have broader white cheek patches.
• Rockhopper Penguins are the smallest of the crested penguins, which helps separate them at a glance from their bulkier relatives.

Rockhopper Penguins breed on remote, rocky subantarctic and cool-temperate islands scattered across the Southern Ocean, including the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, and islands off southern South America. Colonies are typically sited on steep, boulder-strewn slopes and cliffs above the surf line rather than on open beaches.

Outside the breeding season, birds disperse widely at sea, spending months foraging across cold, nutrient-rich Southern Ocean waters far from land.

Voice

Rockhoppers are noisy at their crowded colonies, giving loud, braying and throbbing calls used in mate recognition and territorial disputes.

Feeding

They are pursuit divers, chasing down krill, small fish, and squid in relatively shallow dives near the surface, often foraging within a day's swim of the colony during breeding season.

Nesting and breeding

Colonies are dense and can number in the tens of thousands of pairs, often shared with other seabirds such as albatrosses and shags. Pairs typically lay two eggs, but usually only the larger second egg produces a surviving chick. Chicks form creches for protection while both parents forage at sea.