Rupert the Rockhopper Penguin

A donation of £25 from the sale of this artwork will go to The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)
 
Named for their distinctive hopping across rocky, high-altitude terrain, Rockhoppers are unable to slide on their bellies like many other penguins. One of the smallest penguin species, they only grow to about 50 cm in height. Adults have red eyes but younger ones have the paler but still intense eyes that I’ve depicted. They have bright orange beaks, and distinctive yellow crest feathers, which they shake as part of their courtship displays. 
Currently, there are an estimated 1.5 million pairs of Rockhopper penguins. While still relatively numerous compared with some species, their population has declined by roughly 30% over the past three decades. Though the exact causes are not fully understood, commercial overfishing, pollution, and oil exploitation are thought to have contributed significantly to their decline.