Family: Spheniscidae (Penguins)

Authority: (Forster, 1781)

Red List Category

Criteria: A2abcde+3bcde+4abcde

Click here for more information about the Red List categories and criteria

Justification of Red List category
Southern Rockhopper Penguin populations have declined rapidly from huge abundance in the first half of the 20th century, at a rate exceeding 30% over the past three generations. While some colonies appear to have stabilised, mass-mortality events believed to be connected to water temperature mediated food availability are occurring too frequently for populations to recover, and as such the population is suspected to continue to decline at a rapid rate. As such, the species has been assessed as Vulnerable.

Population size: 2500000 mature individuals

Population trend: decreasing

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 13,100,000 km²

Country endemic: no