Wildlife Wednseday: Skua

26 December 2012 by Amy 3 Comments

I’m still down on the ice chasing penguins, so here’s a picture of another local penguin chaser: the south polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki).  These guys are one of the main predators of Adélie penguin eggs and chicks and have rookerys that are often associated with penguin colonies.  They are incredibly smart and will be off with a penguin chick, your lunch or some vital piece of sampling equipment as soon as your back is turned.  They’re also very territorial and will have a go at your head if you get too close!