A penguin with yellow plumes extending backwards above the eyes. Its breeding range includes the Falkland Islands.
It has an orange-red bill and red eyes. The plumes at the sides of the head are shorter than those of the northern rockhopper penguin.
Male southern rockhopper penguins go to sea to feed during the egg-incubation period. Some trips involve feeding nearby and returning to the nest within the day. In Berkeley Sound in the Falkland Islands, researchers repeatedly recorded males feeding in nearby shallow water and returning to the nest in the evening. Waters close to the breeding grounds also provided feeding habitat.
A study published in 2018 fitted 62 males from colonies around the sound with position or dive-depth recorders between 2011 and 2014. In 2012 and 2013, all GPS-tracked birds foraged within the sound, less than 9 km from their breeding site. In 2014, multi-day trips extended as far as 230 km from the colony. The extent of the sea used differed by year and breeding location. Short trips with daily returns and longer offshore journeys revealed the range of behavior shown by this penguin.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Repeated counts of breeding pairs and pre-fledged chicks track southern rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands. The local conservation organization’s 2023–2024 report found a slight increase in breeding numbers from the preceding season at monitored sites, while numbers remained below their long-term average. In January 2024, unusually many dead adults were found on Steeple Jason Island, and three fresher carcasses tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Breeding records and disease surveillance inform the region’s conservation assessment.