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Northern Rockhopper Penguin

Birds

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The northern rockhopper penguin is a crested penguin species that breeds on a small number of subantarctic islands in the South Atlantic and southern Indian Ocean, including Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands. It is closely related to the southern rockhopper penguin but is somewhat larger, with longer yellow crest feathers that droop further from the head. Like its southern relative, it nests in large colonies on rocky slopes and cliffs and hops between boulders rather than waddling. Its population has fallen sharply over recent decades, and it is now considered one of the more threatened penguin species, with declines linked to changing sea surface temperatures and past exploitation of its colonies for oil and feathers.

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