---
title: "Western Rockhopper Penguin"
description: "Eudyptes chrysocome — Birds. The western rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) is a species of rockhopper penguin."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/western-rockhopper-penguin
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Western Rockhopper Penguin

> Eudyptes chrysocome — Birds. The western rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) is a species of rockhopper penguin.

- Scientific name: *Eudyptes chrysocome*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 729
- Wikidata: [Q688641](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q688641)
- iNaturalist taxon: [3827](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3827)

## Names

- en: Western Rockhopper Penguin
- de: Felsenpinguin
- es: Pingüino de penacho amarillo
- fr: Gorfou sauteur
- nl: Rotspinguïn
- pt: Pinguim-saltador-da-rocha
- pl: Pingwin skalny

## Countries with the most observations

FK (470), AR (129), CL (18)

## Summary

The western rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) is a species of rockhopper penguin. It occurs in subantarctic waters around the southern coast of South America and nearby islands.
The western rockhopper penguin was formerly considered to be conspecific with the eastern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes filholi) of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, with the combined species then known as southern rockhopper penguin. These two taxa together had previously also been considered conspecific with the northern rockhopper penguin (E. moseleyi).

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_rockhopper_penguin

## Photo

![Western Rockhopper Penguin](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/western-rockhopper-penguin/medium.jpg)

Photo: Hugo Hulsberg · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/161530713

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/western-rockhopper-penguin?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).