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(Southern) Rockhopper Penguins are small penguins, with an all-white front and an all-black back. Their most outstanding features are yellow whiskers on the forehead and a strong orange-pink bill. Their legs and feet are skin-pink.

The taxonomic status of (Southern) Rockhopper Penguins is uncertain. They are considered by many to be nominate race "chrysocome" of Eudyptes chrysocome ([Southern (Southern) Rockhopper Penguin], where the other races are "moseleyi" [Northern (Southern) Rockhopper Penguin], "filholi" [Eastern and Western (Southern) Rockhopper Penguin]), whereas other sources give each one of these full species status.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Rockhopper Penguin is available HERE .

Rockhopper Penguins are found along the fringes of Antarctica and around the southern tip of South America.

On Australian soil (Southern) Rockhopper Penguins live on subantarctic islands of Australia, including Macquarie Island.

(Southern) Rockhopper Penguins are non-flying pelagic birds that spend most of their time out in the open ocean and in coastal waters. Penguins can also spend much of their time on ice.

B. Hensen reports spotting (Southern) Rockhopper Penguins on Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean in December 1993.

M. Mearns reports spotting (Southern) Rockhopper Penguins on the Antarctic continent in January 2005.