Northern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes moseleyi)

Northern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes moseleyi

Current view: Data table and detailed info

Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
Banks, J.; Van Buren, A.; Cherel, Y.; Whitfield, J. B. 2006. Genetic evidence for three species of Rockhopper Penguins Eudyptes chrysocome. Polar Biology 30(1): 61-67.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red list criteria met and history

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	A2acde+3cde+4acde	A2acde+3cde+4acde; B2ab(v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2016	Endangered	A2acde+3cde+4acde
2012	Endangered	A2acde+3cde+4acde
2010	Endangered	A2a,c,d,e; A3c,d,e; A4a,c,d,e
2008	Endangered	A2a,c,d,e; A3c,d,e; A4a,c,d,e
2004	Not Recognised
2000	Not Recognised
1994	Not Recognised
1988	Not Recognised

Species attributes

Migratory status	full migrant	Forest dependency	Does not normally occur in forest
Land mass type		Average mass	-

Extent of occurrence (EOO)

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2)	1,840,000	medium
Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2)	16,700,000	medium
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2)	250	medium
Number of locations	7	-
Fragmentation		-

Population and trend

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals		medium	estimated	2007
Population trend	Decreasing	good	estimated	-
Decline (3 years/1 generation past)		-	-	-
Decline (5 years/1 generation past)		-	-	-
Decline (10 years/1 generation past)		-	-	-
Decline (10 years/3 generation future)	50-79	-	-	-
Decline (10 years/3 generation past and future)	50-79	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2	-	-	-
Largest subpopulations		-	-	-
Generation length (yrs)	9	-	-	-

Population justification: Population trends are still poorly known due to the remote nature of these islands. The global population however is estimated at around 240,300 breeding pairs (Cuthbert 2013, TdC and RSPB unpubl. data) with the majority of breeding pairs being found on Gough Island and islands in the Tristan da Cunha group (68,000 pairs on Middle Island -2015-, 64,700 pairs on Gough -2006-, 16,000 pairs on Nightingale -2015-, 54,000 pairs on Inaccessible -2009- and 3600 pairs on Tristan da Cunha -2015- islands; Cuthbert 2013, RSPB and TdC unpubl. data). Numbers indicate that populations are still declining (TdC and RSPB unpubl. data). At the species’ two breeding locations in the Indian Ocean, Amsterdam (25,000 pairs, 1993) and St. Paul (9,000 pairs, 1993) islands numbers have been declining at an average rate of 3-4% since the early 1970s (CEBC-CNRS unpubl. data). Overall, recent population models indicate that over the past 37 years (three generations) the numbers of Northern Rockhopper Penguins have declined by 57% (Birdlife International 2010). At Amsterdam Island the decline over the past three generations reaches 74% (CEBC-CNRS unpubl. data).

Trend justification: Population trends are still poorly known due to the remote nature of these islands. Numbers indicate that populations are still declining (TdC and RSPB unpubl. data). At the species’ two breeding locations in the Indian Ocean, Amsterdam (25,000 pairs, 1993) and St. Paul (9,000 pairs, 1993) islands numbers have been declining at an average rate of 3-4% since the early 1970s (CEBC-CNRS unpubl. data). Overall, recent population models indicate that over the past 37 years (three generations) the numbers of Northern Rockhopper Penguins have declined by 57% (Birdlife International 2010).

Country/territory distribution

Country/Territory	Occurrence status	Presence	Resident	Breeding	Non-breeding
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	V	Extant		Yes
French Southern Territories	N	Extant	Yes
South Africa	V	Extant			Yes
St Helena (to UK)	N	Extant	Yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)

Country/Territory	IBA Name
St Helena (to UK)	Tristan Island

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Grassland	Subantarctic	major	breeding
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded	major	breeding
Marine Intertidal	Rocky Shoreline	major	breeding
Marine Neritic	Pelagic	major	breeding
Marine Neritic	Pelagic	major	non-breeding
Marine Oceanic	Epipelagic (0-200m)	major	breeding
Marine Oceanic	Epipelagic (0-200m)	major	non-breeding
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		major	breeding
Altitude	0 - 170 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1)

Threat (level 2)

Impact and Stresses

Biological resource use

Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest]

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Whole (>90%)

Negligible declines

Medium Impact: 6

Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects, Species mortality

Biological resource use

Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Minority (<50%)

Unknown

Stresses
Species mortality

Climate change & severe weather

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Whole (>90%)

Unknown

Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success

Human intrusions & disturbance

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Minority (<50%)

Negligible declines

Low Impact: 4

Stresses
Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success

Human intrusions & disturbance

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Minority (<50%)

Negligible declines

Low Impact: 4

Stresses
Species disturbance

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Minority (<50%)

Unknown

Stresses
Reduced reproductive success

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species - Canis familiaris

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Past, Likely to Return

Minority (<50%)

Unknown

Past Impact

Stresses
Species mortality

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species - Sus domesticus

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Past, Unlikely to Return

Unknown

Past Impact

Stresses
Species mortality

Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases

Problematic species/disease of unknown origin - Named species - Pasteurella multocida

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Unknown

Stresses
Species mortality

Natural system modifications

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Minority (<50%)

Slow, Significant Declines

Low Impact: 5

Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success

Transportation & service corridors

Timing

Scope

Severity

Impact

Ongoing

Majority (50-90%)

Slow, Significant Declines

Medium Impact: 6

Stresses
Species disturbance, Species mortality

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2018) Species factsheet: Eudyptes moseleyi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/04/2018. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2018) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/04/2018.