Southern Rockhopper Penguin

The southern rockhopper penguin is a small crested penguin species found on subantarctic islands around the Southern Ocean, including the Falkland Islands, islands off southern South America, and the Prince Edward, Crozet, and Kerguelen island groups. It is named for its habit of hopping between rocks with both feet together rather than waddling, allowing it to scale steep, rocky shorelines to reach its colonies. It has a spiky black crest, red eyes, and a stocky build, and it nests in large, noisy colonies often shared with other seabirds. The species includes recognized subspecies across its range, including a westernmost population around the Falklands and southern Chile, and its numbers have declined at many colonies due to changing ocean conditions and food availability.