Head to head
Eastern Rockhopper Penguin vs Northern Rockhopper Penguin
Both are rockhopper penguins split from a single ancestral population into separate species, but their population trajectories differ sharply in severity.
| Eastern Rockhopper Penguin | Northern Rockhopper Penguin | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Eudyptes filholi | Eudyptes moseleyi |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Endangered |
| Breeding range | Southern Indian Ocean islands | Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Amsterdam, Saint Paul |
| Population decline | Significant, ongoing | Exceeding 90% on some islands |
| Crest plumes | Standard rockhopper crest | Noticeably longer and denser crest plumes |
| Recognized as distinct species | Following genetic and morphological study | Formally split in 2006 |
| Climbing style | Hops up cliffs with both feet together | Hops up cliffs with both feet together |
| Diet | Krill, small fish, squid | Krill, squid, small fish |
Eastern Rockhopper Penguin vs Northern Rockhopper Penguin: common questions
Which rockhopper penguin has declined more severely?
The northern rockhopper penguin has, losing more than 90% of its population on some breeding islands, a steeper decline than documented for the eastern rockhopper penguin, though both are in decline.
How can you tell the eastern and northern rockhopper penguins apart?
The northern rockhopper penguin has noticeably longer and denser crest plumes than the eastern rockhopper penguin, one of the clearer physical differences between rockhopper species.
Where do these two rockhopper species breed?
The eastern rockhopper penguin breeds on sub-Antarctic islands of the southern Indian Ocean, while the northern rockhopper penguin breeds on remote South Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands including Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island.