At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Birds
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The northern rockhopper penguin is a small crested penguin with spiky yellow head plumes, found on a few remote islands. It is assessed as Endangered.
Much of the world population breeds on the Tristan da Cunha group.
Range & habitat
A few remote islands in the South Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Changes in food supply
- Ocean change
- Past exploitation and disturbance
Why it matters
A crested penguin concentrated on a handful of remote islands, the northern rockhopper is a barometer for the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean ecosystems.
Sources
Sources for Northern Rockhopper Penguin
- IUCN Red List — look up Northern Rockhopper Penguin (authoritative status)
- BirdLife International
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the northern rockhopper penguin so dependent on a few islands?
A large share of the entire world population breeds on the remote Tristan da Cunha island group, so problems there affect much of the species at once.
Why is the northern rockhopper penguin Endangered?
Published assessments cite changes in food supply, ocean change, and past exploitation and disturbance. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: