Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)
The common name of rockhopper refers to the fact that, unlike many other penguins which get around obstacles by sliding on their bellies or by awkward climbing using their flipper-like wings as aid, these birds try to jump over boulders and across cracks.
Their breeding colonies are located from sea-level to cliff-tops and sometimes inland. They tend to move in groups and often get confused as which direction they should go when two groups meet from two different directions.
Rockhopper's population has declined by about one-third in the last thirty years. This decline has earned them the classification of a vulnerable species by the IUCN. When I was at Saunders Island, I was told that in the last few years, their population on this island has been declined by 75%!
Read MoreTheir breeding colonies are located from sea-level to cliff-tops and sometimes inland. They tend to move in groups and often get confused as which direction they should go when two groups meet from two different directions.
Rockhopper's population has declined by about one-third in the last thirty years. This decline has earned them the classification of a vulnerable species by the IUCN. When I was at Saunders Island, I was told that in the last few years, their population on this island has been declined by 75%!
