Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Northern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes moseleyi)
Northern Rockhopper Penguin

Northern Rockhopper Penguin

Eudyptes moseleyi

The Northern Rockhopper Penguin, also known as Moseley's Rockhopper Penguin or simply Moseley's Penguin, is a charismatic seabird with a distinctive appearance. It is recognized by its slate-grey back and flippers, a white belly, and the striking yellow and black spiky plumes that adorn its head. Larger than its southern relatives, this penguin species exhibits a robust build and a gape marked by a fleshy margin.

Identification Tips

When observing these penguins, look for the long yellow eyebrow-like feathers that extend from the forehead and droop behind the eyes. The Northern Rockhopper Penguin also has a larger superciliary stripe in front of the eye compared to its southern counterparts. Its red eyes and orange beak are also notable features that aid in identification.

Habitat

These penguins are found in the southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans, where they breed on remote islands. Their colonies are typically located on rocky shores, cliffs, and sometimes inland areas.

Distribution

The majority of Northern Rockhopper Penguins breed on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the south Atlantic Ocean. Smaller populations are found on Amsterdam Island and St Paul Island, which are part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Sightings on the Australian continent are extremely rare.

Behaviour

Northern Rockhopper Penguins are known for their agility on land, often seen hopping across rocky terrain. They are social birds, breeding in large colonies where they engage in elaborate mating rituals, including distinctive songs and displays involving their head ornaments.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of the Northern Rockhopper Penguin are an essential part of their mating rituals, with each subspecies having its unique calls that reinforce reproductive isolation.

Breeding

Breeding occurs in colonies that can be found from sea level to cliff sides and sometimes further inland. These penguins are monogamous, with a split in mitochondrial DNA indicating two subspecies: the northern and southern rockhopper penguin. Adults feed their chicks lower trophic level prey than they consume themselves.

Similar Species

The Northern Rockhopper Penguin can be confused with the Southern Rockhopper Penguin, but differences in crest length, gape margin, flipper pattern, and size help distinguish them.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet consists of krill, crustaceans, squid, octopus, and fish. They are adept hunters, diving into the ocean to catch their prey.

Conservation status

The Northern Rockhopper Penguin is classified as Endangered, with a dramatic decline of 90% in its population since the 1950s. Threats include climate change, overfishing, predation, and human disturbance. Conservation efforts are crucial to prevent further declines in their numbers.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Northern Rockhopper Penguins on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Christa Harmsen
Christa Harmsen
07 Apr 2024 - 6:33am
South Africa

More Penguins

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.