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  • Northern Rockhopper Penguin

Northern rockhopper penguin

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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

10 years in the wild

25 years under human care

Diet

Diet

Crustaceans, Inkfishes,

krills, fishes

Habitat

Habitat

Rocky Coasts,

Open oceans

Range

Range

South Atlantic

and Indian Ocean islands

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The Northern Rockhopper Penguin

Yellow `Eyebrows’

Yellow `Eyebrows’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Wild Scoop

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