Diet of South Polar Skua Chicks in Two Areas of Sympatry with Brown Skua

Grilli, Maricel Graña; Libertelli, Marcela; Montalti, Diego

doi:10.1675/063.034.0412

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The lack of differences among the three compared periods sampled would suggest that the kind of food that skuas offer to their chicks would be determined by the availability more than by changes in the specific needs of chicks related to their age. In agreement with previous, studies, remains of soft tissue of penguins predominated in the diet of Brown Skua chicks throughout their nesting period (Reinhardt 1997, Graña-Grilli et al 2011. Sampling covered a period of 24 days in which penguin chicks would be at the crèche stage (chicks are big and get grouped under the care of a few adults while other parents forage at sea) and at the onset of the fledging stage (Williams 1995).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Uniformity of diet composition of Brown Skua chicks at different ages and between siblings

Grilli

Marti²,

Montalti

2014

Rev. Bras. Ornitol.

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The food delivered to chicks by their parents may be influenced by many factors, such as changes in food availability, the status of dominance of parents or changes on their ability or opportunity to get different kinds of resources. Changes in the nutritional requirements due to chick growth, as well as their acquisition of the ability to feed on new kinds of food and larger meals can also lead to variations in the food delivered to chicks (

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Uniformity of diet composition of Brown Skua chicks at different ages and between siblings

Grilli

Marti²,

Montalti

2014

Rev. Bras. Ornitol.

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“…In allopatric areas, during the breeding season, South Polar Skuas forage in the sea, seabird colonies, and seal breeding grounds [15]. The above is consistent with the idea that South Polar Skuas may exhibit trophic plasticity, changing their feeding habits from one resource to another, depending on availability [16]. However, the feeding habits of South Polar Skuas are most likely determined by many complex interacting factors [14].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki in the Haswell Islands, East Antarctica

Golubev

2024

Birds

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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. The aim of this study was to determine how South Polar Skuas use available resources during the pre-breeding and breeding periods at the Haswell Archipelago (66°31′ S, 93°01′ E, Davis Sea, Southern Ocean) under conditions of prolonged human activity. I studied pellets, spontaneous regurgitation, and stomach contents of feathered birds to study the diet of skuas and used direct observations of their feeding behavior. South Polar Skuas at the Haswell Islands fed primarily on the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colony and on terrestrial resources in the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and fulmarine petrel colonies. The dominant prey of skuas were breeding Antarctic penguins. Emperor Penguins and Adélie Penguins 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. In recent decades, kitchen waste supported the skua population. Scavenging (placenta and feces of Weddell seals [Leptonychotes weddellii], frozen eggs, chicks and adults of breeding bird species, kitchen refuse) is the dominant strategy for obtaining food. Adélie Penguin eggs and chicks were the main food items of the South Polar Skuas in the Haswell Archipelago. Skua predation could potentially influence the breeding success of Adélie Penguins and fulmarine petrels, but the extent of the impact is unknown. The impact of the South Polar Skua on Emperor Penguins is negligible because skuas feed mainly on frozen chicks and eggs of the species.

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“…When breeding in sympatry, Brown Skuas monopolize the terrestrial feeding resources (i.e., penguin colonies) while South Polar Skuas feed at sea (i.e., fish) (Montalti et al 2009;Graña Grilli and Montalti 2014). The skuas that feed at sea have wider home ranges and take longer feeding trips, leaving their nests unattended for longer periods than those feeding on terrestrial resources and searching for food near their nests (Graña Grilli et al 2011). After the breeding season, South Polar Skuas migrate to northern localities (near Greenland, Japan and Canada (Furness 1987;Kopp et al 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hematology, Biochemistry and Serum Protein Analyses of Antarctic and non-Antarctic Skuas

Ibáñez¹,

Najle

Larsen

et al. 2015

Waterbirds

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Diet of South Polar Skua Chicks in Two Areas of Sympatry with Brown Skua

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

Uniformity of diet composition of Brown Skua chicks at different ages and between siblings

Uniformity of diet composition of Brown Skua chicks at different ages and between siblings

Diet and Feeding Behavior of the South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki in the Haswell Islands, East Antarctica

Hematology, Biochemistry and Serum Protein Analyses of Antarctic and non-Antarctic Skuas

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