Version 1
: Received: 29 February 2024 / Approved: 29 February 2024 / Online: 29 February 2024 (14:44:05 CET)
How to cite:
Golubev, S.V. Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki Haswell Islands, East Antarctica. Preprints2024, 2024021737. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1737.v1
Golubev, S.V. Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki Haswell Islands, East Antarctica. Preprints 2024, 2024021737. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1737.v1
Golubev, S.V. Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki Haswell Islands, East Antarctica. Preprints2024, 2024021737. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1737.v1
APA Style
Golubev, S.V. (2024). Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki Haswell Islands, East Antarctica. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1737.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Golubev, S.V. 2024 "Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki Haswell Islands, East Antarctica" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1737.v1
Abstract
The diet and feeding behavior of South Polar Skuas (Stercorarius maccormicki) are well studied within the species' breeding range, but are poorly understood on the Haswell Islands. Goal: to establish how South Polar Skuas used the abundance of living resources of the Haswell Archipelago (66°31' S, 93°01' E, Davis Sea, Southern Ocean) under conditions of prolonged human activity. Methods: direct observations, study of pellets, spontaneous regurgitation and stomach contents of feathered birds. South Polar Skuas fed primarily on terrestrial resources. The dominant prey of skuas were vertebrates. Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) make up the bulk of the skuas’ diet in the pre-breeding and breeding periods. Surface feeding at sea was observed in the post-breeding period, when the availability of land-based food resources was reduced. Throughout history, kitchen waste supported the skuas population. Scavenging is the dominant strategy for obtaining food. Predation (primarily on Adélie Penguin eggs and chicks) is of minor importance. South Polar Skuas do not affect the breeding success of Emperor Penguins if they feed on frozen chicks and eggs in their colony. Skua predation influences breeding success of Adélie Penguins and fulmarine petrels, but the extent of the impact is unknown.
Biology and Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Zoology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
