Head to head
Northern Rockhopper Penguin vs Southern Rockhopper Penguin
These two rockhopper penguins were treated as a single species until genetic and physical differences confirmed a split in 2006, and their conservation stories have since diverged.
| Northern Rockhopper Penguin | Southern Rockhopper Penguin | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Eudyptes moseleyi | Eudyptes chrysocome |
| Recognised as a distinct species | Since 2006 | Long-recognised as the parent species |
| Crest plumes | Longer and denser | Shorter and less dense |
| Breeding range | Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Amsterdam and Saint Paul islands | Falklands, southern South America, islands south of New Zealand and Australia |
| Conservation status | Endangered | Vulnerable |
| Population trend | Decreasing sharply | Decreasing |
| Climbing style | Hops with both feet together | Hops with both feet together |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Ocean, coastal |
Northern Rockhopper Penguin vs Southern Rockhopper Penguin: common questions
When were these two rockhopper penguins recognised as separate species?
The northern and southern rockhopper penguins were only recognised as genuinely separate species in 2006, after genetic and physical differences were confirmed by researchers who had previously treated them as one.
Which one has declined more steeply?
The northern rockhopper penguin has declined more steeply, losing more than 90% of its population on some breeding islands and now classified as Endangered, compared with the southern rockhopper penguin's Vulnerable status.
How can you tell the two rockhopper penguins apart?
The northern rockhopper penguin has noticeably longer and denser crest plumes than the southern rockhopper penguin, one of the clearest physical differences confirmed when the two were split into separate species.