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Australian Wildlife

  Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)





Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome photo
Rockhopper Penguin

Image by Su Neko - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome photo
Photographed at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland

Image by Robert Orr - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN FACTS

Description
The Rockhopper Penguin has black head and dark blue grey back with white front. The crest has black feathers on top of head and yellow plumes above the eye. These yellow feathers stick out when dry and are flattened back when wet. The bill is reddish brown

Other Names
Crested Penguin, Jackass Penguin, Tufted Penguin

Size
46-58cm

Habitat
oceans, sub-Antarctic islands

Food
fish, squid, crustaceans

Breeding
Breeds on sub-Antarctic islands.

Range
Regular winter visitor to southern parts of West Australia and winter visitor to South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

distribution map showing range of Eudyptes chrysocome in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Conservation Status
The conservation status in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "vulnerable".

Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Sphenisciformes
Family:Spheniscidae
Genus:Eudyptes
Species:chrysocome
Common Name:Rockhopper Penguin

Relatives in same Genus
  Macaroni Penguin (E. chrysolophus)
  Fiordland Penguin (E. pachyrhynchus)
  Snares Penguin (E. robustus)
  Royal Penguin (E. schlegeli)
  Erect-crested Penguin (E. sclateri)