Eudyptes chrysocome (Rockhopper
penguin)
Geelkuifpikkewyn [Afrikaans]; Rotspinguïn [Dutch];
Gorfou sauteur [French]; Felsenpinguin [German]; Pinguim-das-rochas [Portuguese]
Life
> Eukaryotes >
Opisthokonta
> Metazoa (animals) >
Bilateria >
Deuterostomia > Chordata >
Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) > Gnathostomata (jawed
vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned
fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial
vertebrates) > Tetrapoda
(four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Reptilia (reptiles) >
Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria >
Dinosauria
(dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) >
Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves
(birds) > Order: Ciconiiformes
> Family: Spheniscidae
Distribution and habitat
Breeds on sub-Antarctic and southern temperate islands,
dispersing across the sea generally up to 500 km from the colony. There have
been 48 records of it in southern Africa up to 1992, most of them along the
coast of the Western and Eastern Cape; all but one were found at sea.
Food
It mainly eats small crustaceans, supplemented with squid
and fish, especially Lanternfish (Kreffichthys anderssoni). It does most
of its foraging within 40 metres of the water surface, rarely descending to a
depth of 70 metres. It can swim at up to 7-8 km/h.
Breeding
Breeds in loose colonies on coastal cliffs, as it is more
agile than most other penguins and so can hop up steep slopes.
Threats
Vulnerable, with a global population of
approximately 3.7 million pairs; many colonies are decreasing rapidly in size.
References
-
Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts
- Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker
Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.
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