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The Rockhopper Penguin is the smallest Falkland penguin. The Falkland Islands hold a significant proportion of the world population (210,418 pairs – Census Report 2005-06 (5.8MbPDF)). This is one of the world’s most important locations for this species, which is internationally rated as Vulnerable by BirdLife International. It occurs elsewhere only on islands off Tierra del Fuego. Numbers have seriously declined over the past 75 years, and since 2000 have dropped by 88,000 pairs (see Status). It breeds at 35 colonies, but 70% of the birds are at three major sites: Beauchene (502kb PDF), Steeple and Grand Jason islands (733kb PDF).
Rockhopper Penguins are migratory, arriving in the islands to breed in early October and leaving by the end of April. Some stay relatively close to their colony all year round, but one tracked penguin travelled a total distance of 2,119 km (1,324 miles) in 75 days.
Photo: Allan White |
Photo: Allan White |
Rockhoppers are small penguins, 60 cm (24 ins) tall, but very agile - named from their habit of bounding up steep cliffs with both feet together. One of two crested penguins found in the Islands (the other is the Macaroni), they can be identified by straight thin yellow eyebrows with yellow plumes hanging above and behind their red eyes. Head, throat and back are blue-black and under parts white. The stout bill is orange-red and feet pink.
Rockhoppers breed in dense colonies on cliff tops or steep cliff sides, often with Black-browed Albatrosses or Imperial Shags. Traditional routes to nesting areas, up steep rocky slopes from the sea, have grooves worn in the rocks by thousands of climbing penguins. Two pear-shaped, whitish eggs are laid in a shallow depression. The first egg is usually much smaller and the resulting chick rarely reared successfully.
Immature and non-breeding birds moult from mid-January, breeding adults a little later. The colonies are deserted by the end of April.
Rockhopper penguins feed on squid and lobster krill, and less frequently on small fish.
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