NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Rockhopper Penguin
Eudyptes chrysocome (J. R. Forster, 1781)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
In the Falkland Islands.
Liam Quinn from Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
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).
Wikipedia contributors, Western rockhopper penguin; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T11:31:25.530687+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Eudyptes chrysocome (J. R. Forster, 1781)
- Name authority
- (J. R. Forster, 1781)
- Common name
- Western Rockhopper Penguin
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Sphenisciformes
- Family
- Spheniscidae
- Genus
- Eudyptes
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderSphenisciformes
- familySpheniscidae Bonaparte, 1831
- genusEudyptes Vieillot, 1816
- speciesEudyptes chrysocome (J. R. Forster, 1781)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Eudyptes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Snares PenguinEudyptes robustus Oliver, 1953 | SpheniscidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes filholi F. W. Hutton, 1879 | SpheniscidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes moseleyi Mathews & Iredale, 1921 | SpheniscidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Eudyptes crestatus (J. F. Miller, 1784) (J. F. Miller, 1784) | synonym |
| Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome (J. R. Forster, 1781) (J. R. Forster, 1781) | synonym |
| Aptenodytes chrysocome J. R. Forster, 1781 J. R. Forster, 1781 | synonym |
| Aptenodytes crestata J. F. Miller, 1784 J. F. Miller, 1784 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559996 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3C39V. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.