Rockhopper penguin

Rockhopper penguin

We are delighted that Helma Ringelmann has become the godmother of the rockhopper penguin.

The rockhopper penguin is only 45 to 58 centimetres tall, making it one of the smallest penguins of the crested penguin genus. They weigh between 2.1 and 4.2 kilograms. Male rockhopper penguins are somewhat heavier than females.

The penguins breed in colonies and build their nests from tufts of grass, sticks and stones on rocky slopes or grassy areas. The birds live monogamously, i.e. they have the same partner every breeding season, which they recognise by their calls.

After the second egg is laid, both partners take turns incubating for around 33 days. The male remains in the nest for about 25 days after the chicks hatch, until the chicks have moulted into their second down plumage and form groups with other chicks. Then both parents go hunting to catch enough fish for their offspring. At the age of 10 weeks, the chicks fledge and leave the nesting site three to four weeks later.

Rockhopper penguins live around the southern hemisphere in latitudes between 45 and 60 degrees south.

The IUCN classifies the species as vulnerable (vulnarable), as the population has declined rapidly in recent years. The total population of the southern rockhopper penguin is currently estimated to be between 500,000 and one million animals.