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South Polar Skua typically lay two eggs. The chicks are precocious and within a few hours of hatching are able to walk on there own are around there territory., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

During the summer skuas often nest near penguin colonies. Proximity to the colonies allows them to opportunistically prey on unguarded chicks and eggs, with which they feed their own young., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Adult skua have a very strong bill with a pronounced hook at the tip. This aids them in aggressive foraging and defence of their nesting territories., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

South Polar skua live on open scree slopes, usually in close proximity to penguin colonies, Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The south polar skua is a large predatory seabird and has an average wing span of 1.3 metres., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

During breeding season adult skua are territorial, fiercely defending the area surrounding their nests., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The breeding season of the south polar skua coincides with that of their penguin prey. Adult skau will kill penguin chicks to feed their own young, they will also take full grown penguins, which are scavenged as carrion from the nearby colonies., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skuas are predatory birds and, during breeding season, often nest near the penguin colonies on which they prey., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The South Polar skua is a predatory seabird and produces two eggs. Of the two chicks often only one survives, this is in part a result of a baheaviour known as siblicide., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The smaller south polar skua have an average wing span of 1.3m and breed around he continent., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

South Polar skua have heavier bodies than their gull relatives, with a strong hook shaped bill., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The adult plumage of the south polar skua occurs in three distinct colour forms. Individuals may have pale, medium or dark plumage. This image shows the difference between pale versus dark individuals., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skuas are aggressive scavengers and often carry large prey items back to their nests in order to feed their chicks., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

During breeding season skuas often nest close to the penguin or petrel colonies on which they prey., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The South polar skua breed during the Antarctic summer months and typically lay two eggs. The nests are shallow depressions on the ground and are often found on beaches or rocky outcrops., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skua chicks are precocial, meaning that within just a few hours of hatching chicks are able to leave their nest and walk around., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The skua are seabirds of prey which can fly extremely well with their powerful wings, Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skuas have heavier bodies than their gull relatives and stronger, more hooked bills, reflecting their more predatory lifestyle., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

South polar skua breed exclusively around the coast of Antarctica, nesting on open scree slopes, Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Potential nest sites are limited in Antarctica, where most of the continent is covered in ice. Skua nests are no more than shallow depressions, often made in rocky screes., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skuas have predominantly dark plumage with conspicuous white patches on the top and bottom of their wings., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The smaller south polar skua have an average wing span of 1.3m and breed around he continent., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Like many predatory birds, skuas regurgitate the less digestible components of their diet. Bones and feathers, remaining after a meal has been digested, are regurgitated in the form of a compact pellet., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

South polar skuas are migratory birds that breed only on the Antarctic continent and nearby islands. Birds arrive at breeding areas in early spring just as the penguins are returning to their colonies., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skuas are true seabirds of prey and during the breeding season often nest near penguin colonies. Skua feed their chicks a diet of fish, squid, crustaceans, penguin eggs and chicks., Cape Bird, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skua lay only two eggs that are laid two to three days apart, because they begin incubation immediately the eggs hatch asynchronously., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skua chicks, driven from their nests by sibling aggression, may stray into neighbouring territories and be killed by nesting adults., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Penguin and skua breeding season occur during the Antarctic summer, when melting ice means that nest sites and feeding grounds become available., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

There is no clear explanation for the evolution of sibling aggression. Experiments have shown that sibling aggression in the south polar skua is not dependent on the amount of food available to chicks during breeding season., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skua chicks will often die from injuries sustained whilst fighting with their siblings., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Conspicuous white patches on the top and bottom of the wings are a characteristic of south polar skua plumage., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Isolated penguin nests at the edges of colonies are particularly vulnerable to attack from skuas., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skua chicks must be protected from other predatory skuas and brooded regularly for the first couple of weeks after hatching., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The predatory characteristics of the south polar skua aid it in the defence of its nest site., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skuas are scavengers whose numbers tend to increase around human settlements. During breeding season they produce two eggs that are laid a number of days apart., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

During breeding season penguin chicks form a significant part of the south polar skua diet., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Penguins nest in large colonies to protect themselves from predators such as the south polar skua. As a result skua feeding is highly opportunistic., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Potential mates and good nest sites are scarce during breeding season. Many skua, especially young ones, will fail to breed and these birds often group together in a flock which is commonly known as the club., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The evolution of siblicide is thought to confer some benefit to the surviving chick and its parents., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Although the south polar skua almost always successfully hatches two chicks, it is common for one to die as a result of sibling aggression., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

During the breeding season, the role of incubating eggs is shared between male and female skuas., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Dead penguin chicks are scavenged as carrion or, when the opportunity arises, taken from unguarded nests., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Skua siblings hatch asynchronously, meaning the older chick is often larger and better developed by the time its younger sibling hatches., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Good nest sites are scarce in Antarctica, where most of the continent is covered in ice. Skua nests are made from shallow depressions in rocky screes., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Sibling aggression is more likely if a competitive disparity, such as difference in size, exists between chicks., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

The most common resut of sibling aggression is that the weaker chick is excluded from access to parental care. The result is that it will die from either exposure, starvation, or attacks from other skuas., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Siblicide is a common occurrence with south polar skuas, it is a behaviour that has evolved and therefore is thought to increase the reproductive success of a brooding pair., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica

Sibicide is more likely to occur in species that are predatory as adults., Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica, Restricted to staff and students of the University of Auckland, SBSAntarctica