An Apparent Hybrid Royal/Rockhopper Penguin at Macquarie Island

Abstract

Several species of Eudyptes penguins breed in large, mixed colonies on subantarctic islands. However, interbreeding between species has rarely been recorded. This paper provides details of a possible hybrid Royal/Rockhopper Penguin on Macquarie Island, and summarises published records of hybrids and mixed pairs on Macquarie Island and elsewhere.