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Two kinds of skuas live in the Antarctic Peninsula: the large, fierce, and aggressive South Polar skua, and the even bigger and meaner brown skua (also called the Antarctic skua), shown here. Both skuas are scavengers and predators, but the brown skua is much more of a predator on seabird colonies (especially penguins) than its smaller relative. A pair of brown skuas can catch and kill a full-sized fledgling penguin. Both species ferociously defend their nests against human intruders, calling loudly, diving and smacking tresspassers in the head with their feet and beaks, and also defecating with practiced aim. This bird was nesting on one of the small islands in Arthur Harbor, near the U.S. research base at Palmer Station off the Antarctic Peninsula. |
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