Penguin with yellow hair|Rockhopper Penguin facts
Rockhopper penguins are a breed of penguin that live off of island coastlines in the southern hemisphere.
They are one of the smallest species of penguins and are best known for their crest of long yellow feathers as well as their bright red eyes rockhopper penguins are among the most numerous penguin species on earth incredible rockhopper penguin facts some scientists split these penguins into three species southern northern and eastern while others consider them one species they are known for their bright red eyes and bright yellow head plumage they can dive up to 330 feet in search of prey at sea rockhopper penguins mate for life these penguins are found all around the southern hemisphere from the southern coast of south america all the way to new zealand.
Rockhopper penguin scientific name the rockhopper penguin scientific name is udiptis chrysocum eudiptis means good diver in latin and the genus encompasses all the crested penguins such as the macaroni penguin and the royal penguin chrysocom means golden hair so the scientific name of these penguins means golden-haired divers some scientists consider the rockhopper penguin to be one species of crested penguin other scientists divide the species up into three subspecies northern rockhopper penguin southern rockhopper penguin and eastern rockhopper penguin northern rockhopper penguins tend to be larger than the other two subspecies rockhopper penguin appearance all species of these penguins have long yellow and black crest feathers red eyes and ruddy red colored beak at slightly less than two feet in height these penguins are a few inches taller than a bowling pin males are slightly bigger than females these penguins weigh about 5.5 pounds they are the smallest species of crested penguins these penguins have the traditional black and white coloring of most penguins with a black tuxedo covering most of their bodies except for their round white bellies they have bold stripes in the region above their eyes called superciliary stripes the northern penguins have more prominent crests than the southern species their chicks are mostly black and grey with black beaks which turn brighter red and orange as they age juvenile penguins look like their adult counterparts save for patches of gray hair beneath their chin some juveniles do not possess superciliary stripes at all rockhopper penguin behavior.
These penguins nest along rocky shorelines hence the name rockhopper penguin most penguin species slide around on their bellies but these penguins prefer to jump among the rocks where they live they prefer dense patches of grass called tussocks for breeding and nesting like most species of penguins they are designed for swimming they use their wings to propel themselves around in shallow water though they are known to traverse to deeper waters as well these penguins can dive up to 300 feet below the surface and swim around 4 miles per hour underwater when it is time to return to shore rockhopper penguins can launch themselves out of the water and land on their bellies on the beach akhapur penguin habitat all rockhopper penguins are found on islands surrounding antarctica and new zealand as well as the southern tip of south america the northern species of this penguin lives on gough island and tristan da cunha as well as islands in the indian ocean the eastern variety of rockhopper penguin lives on the auckland islands and other islands surrounding new zealand as well as the southern french territories and prince edward island and marion islands in south africa the southern rockhopper penguin thrives on islands off the southmost coast of chile and argentina rockhopper penguin diet these penguins are carnivores and their diet mostly consists of krill they also partake in other small crustaceans as well as squid to hunt these penguins will stay at sea for days at a time diving deep for krill they have a layer of fat that keeps them afloat and warm in the cold ocean rockhopper penguins like other species of penguins have a high density of feathers that overlap and lock out moisture they have the most feathers of any bird species to further aid in hunting the red eyes of this penguin can adjust so they can see both above and below the surface of the water they can also sleep while afloat at sea rockhopper penguin predators and threats these penguins have no land-dwelling predators but they have much to fear in the sea as well as from other species of birds.
They fall prey to orca whales blue sharks fur seals and leopard seals though these penguins fiercely defend their young baby penguins often fall victim to shorebirds like fulmers skewas and kelp gulls rockhopper penguins are threatened by humans as well their prey suffers from rising global temperatures due to climate change so the penguins are in decline because they cannot find enough to eat overfishing and oil spills both contribute to the shortage of prey these penguins can also accidentally be caught in fishing nets of the three species of these penguins the northern variety is the most at risk
