For the first time in 17 years, a northern rockhopper penguin has been discovered in SA. Carers hope the drastically underweight migratory bird will make a full recovery and return to the wild.

Another penguin has been found far from home on a beach south of Adelaide.

Key points:

  • The species has not been seen in SA since 2006
  • Rocky is severely underweight and is expected to take a long time to recover if he is to survive
  • A researcher says changes to ocean surface temperatures could be affecting the migratory birds' ability to navigate

The climate factor

Ms Green, who also works for as a Senior Wildlife Officer for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, said crested penguins followed the same migration routes every year.

She said they used sea-surface temperatures and salinity levels to help guide them, but that juveniles sometimes lost their way while they were learning where to go.

"Another major problem is climate change," she said.

"It is very particular and it's called their niche — they would be following very particular cues in the Southern Ocean to navigate their way to abundant and predictable prey."

Ms Green said climate change was pushing the penguin's food sources deeper into the water column or south towards Antarctica, where they could not reach them.

"So they'll start following the wrong things and this is when you get them popping up on the mainland," she said.

There's another similar story where Thousands of Penguins Mysteriously Wash Up Dead in South America, with empty stomachs