© Mónica Torres
The Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) is a highly charismatic species of the Southwestern Atlantic, primarily breeding on subantarctic islands. The northernmost colonies are found in Argentina, on Isla Pingüino (in the Province of Santa Cruz), and in Bahía Franklin and San Juan de Salvamento, both on Isla de los Estados (Province of Tierra del Fuego). This penguin is an excellent swimmer, feeding mainly on krill and small fish. In Argentina, it is listed as “Endangered” (MAyDS and AA, 2017), with one of the main threats being climate change, as the species is highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations. Globally, it is categorized as “Vulnerable” (BirdLife International, 2020).
Species status tables, by year.
Select the year to display the status tables.
2021
CITATION CONSERVATION STATUS (IUCN criteria) Global Vulnerable, 2020 1 Regional – Patagonian Sea Near Threatened, 2016 9 Argentina Endangered, 2015 2 POPULATION SIZE (Breeding pairs) Global 1,250,000 1 Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) 174,231 2 Isla Malvinas 319,163 1 South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) No breeding colonies POPULATION TREND Global Decreasing 1 Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) Increasing in Santa Cruz and decreasing in Isla de los Estados 3 to 8 Isla Malvinas Increasing 1 South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) No breeding colonies CURRENT SITUATION IN ARGENTINA Number of Registered Colonies in Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) 3 3 to 8 Number of Protected Colonies in Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) 3 3 to 8, 10 Number of Colonies with Increasing Population Trends 1 3 to 8 Number of Colonies with Decreasing Population Trends 1 3 to 8 Number of Colonies with Stable Population Trends 0 3 to 8 Number of Colonies with Unknown Population Trends 1 3 to 8
Marine Protected Areas with the presence of the species
- Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park
- Isla de los Estados y Archipiélago de Año Nuevo Provincial Reserve
Marine areas of intensive use by the species
- Vicinity of Isla Pingüino, Santa Cruz
- Coastal waters of Tierra del Fuego
- Continental shelf slope of Patagonia
- Drake Passage
- Waters of the polar front and sub-Antarctic front
- Waters of Burdwood Bank
Marine Protected Areas within areas of intensive use by the species
- Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park
- Yaganes Marine Protected Area
- Namuncurá – Banco Burdwood I Marine Protected Area
- Namuncurá – Banco Burdwood II Marine Protected Area
REFERENCES:
- BirdLife International. 2020. Eudyptes chrysocome. The IUCN Red List of ThreatenedSpecies 2020: e.T22735250A182762377. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22735250/182762377
- Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable y Aves Argentina. (2017). Categorización de las Aves de la Argentina (2015). Informe del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación y de Aves Argentinas, edición electrónica. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Gandini, P., Millones, A., Morgenthaler, A., Frere, E. (2017). Population trends of the Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) at the northern limit of its breeding range: Isla Pingüino, Santa Cruz, Argentina. Polar Biology 40, 1023–1028.
- Yorio, P., Frere, E., Gandini, P., Harris, G. (1998). Atlas de la distribución reproductiva de aves marinas en el litoral patagónico argentino. Fundación Patagonia Natural y Wildlife Conservation Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Schiavini, A. (2000). Staten Island, Tierra del Fuego: The Largest Breeding Ground for Southern Rockhopper Penguins? Waterbirds: The International Journal of Waterbird Biology 23, 286–291.
- Raya Rey, A., Rosciano, N., Liljesthröm, M., Sáenz Samaniego, R., Schiavini, A. (2014). Species-specific population trends detected for penguins, gulls and cormorants over 20 years in sub-Antarctic Fuegian Archipelago. Polar Biology 37, 1343–1360.
- Schiavini, A., Yorio, P., Gandini, P., Raya Rey, A., Boersma, P. (2005). Los pingüinos de las costas argentinas: estado poblacional y conservación. Hornero 20, 5-23.
- Pütz, K., Raya Rey, A., Schiavini, A., Clausen, A., Lüthi, B. (2006). Winter migration of rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes c. chrysocome) breeding in the Southwest Atlantic: Is utilisation of different foraging areas reflected in opposing population trends? Polar Biology 29, 735–744.
- Falabella V., Tamini L., García Borboroglu P., Frere E., Seco Pon J.P., Simeone Cabrera A., Stanworth A., Suazo C., Campagna C. 2019. Report of the IUCN Regional Red List First Workshop for Species of the Patagonian Sea: Sea Birds. Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea. http://marpatagonico.org/publicaciones/
- WCS Argentina Database – Marine Program