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The rockhopper penguin is a small crested penguin with a black forehead. They have dull, red
eyes and a reddish brown bill. They weigh about 6 pounds and are about 22 inches tall.
Rockhoppers jump from rock to rock. They can jump 6 feet high.
Rockhoppers are the smallest of the crested penguins. They have a thin yellow stripe that starts
just behind the beak and runs towards the back of the head. Rockhoppers breed on almost every
sub-Antarctic island from October to April. Nests are usually small scrapes lined with plants.
Two eggs are usually laid. Both parents incubate the eggs during the 32 to 34 day incubation
period. The male guards and raises the chicks for 24 to 26 days while the female gets food for the
chicks. The chicks are ready to leave the nests at about 65 to 75 days old. Their predators are:
giant petrels, brown skuas, Dominican gulls, blue sharks, and both fur and leopard seals.
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