Abstract
We examined the abundance and spatial distribution of sympatrically breeding skuas (Catharacta spp.) within Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica, during the austral summer of 2004/2005 in relation to spatial variables, which correspond to access to resources and nesting site safety and quality. We also compared the distribution and abundance of skua pairs observed in 2004/2005 to published skua census data from 1978/1979. Similar to previous studies, we found that brown skua (C. antarctica lonnbergi) pairs often nested in close proximity to penguin colonies and actively excluded other pair types from having direct access to penguin resources. In areas directly around penguin colonies, brown skua displace south polar skua (C. maccormicki) and other pair types, indirectly forcing them to nest in possibly lower quality territories, which are farther away from the coastline and in areas with lower incident solar radiation. When examining skua population trends, we discovered that the total number of breeding skuas in Admiralty Bay had increased by 293%, from 128 to 468 pairs, since 1978/1979. This dramatic increase was driven primarily by a tenfold increase in south polar skua pairs, as well as smaller increases in mixed and hybrid pairs. In contrast, there has been an overall decline (by 40%) in brown skua pairs during this same time, driven primarily by a large decrease in the breeding density of brown skua pairs in areas without penguin colonies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ainley DG, Ribic CA, Wood RC (1990) A Demographic Study of the South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki at Cape Crozier. J Anim Ecol 59:1–20
Anderson ORJ, Phillips RA, Shore RF, McGill RAR, McDonald RA, Bearhop S (2009) Diet, individual specialisation and breeding of brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi): an investigation using stable isotopes. Polar Biol 32:27–33. doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0498-9
Beyer HL (2004) Hawth’s Analysis Tools for ArcGIS. Available at http://www.spatialecology.com/htools
Carlini AR, Coria NR, Santos MM, Libertelli MM, Donini G (2007) Breeding success and population trends in Adélie penguins in areas with low and high levels of human disturbance. Polar Biol 30:917–924. doi:10.1007/s00300-006-0251-1
Carlini AR, Coria NR, Santos MM, Negrete J, Juares MA, Daneri GA (2009) Responses of Pygoscelis adeliae and P. papua populations to environmental changes at Isla 25 de Mayo (King George Island). doi:10.1007/s00300-009-0637-y
Emslie SD, Karnovsky N, Trivelpiece W (1995) Avian predation at penguin colonies on King George Island, Antarctica. Wilson Bull 107:317–327
Furness RW (1987) The skuas. T & AD Poyser Ltd, Town Head House. Calton, Waterhouses, Staffordshire
Hagelin JC, Miller GD (1997) Nest site selection in south polar skuas: balancing nest safety and access to resources. Auk 114:638–645
Hahn S, Bauer S (2008) Dominance in feeding territories relates to foraging success and offspring growth in brown skuas Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 62:1149–1157. doi:10.1007/s00265-007-0543-7
Hahn S, Peter H-U (2003) Feeding territoriality and the reproductive consequences in the brown skuas Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi. Polar Biol 26:552–559. doi:10.1007/s00300-003-0522-z
Hahn S, Ritz MS, Peter H-U (2003) Living in mixed pairs—better for fitness? A study in skuas. In: Huiskes AHL, Gieskes WWC, Rozema J, Schorno RML, van der Vies SM, Wolff WJ (eds) Antarctic biology in a global context. Backhuys, Leiden, pp 229–233
Hahn S, Reinhardt K, Ritz MS, Janicke T, Montalti D, Peter H-U (2007) Oceanographic and climatic factors differentially affect reproduction performance of Antarctic skuas. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 334:287–297
Hahn S, Ritz MS, Reinhardt K (2008) Marine foraging and annual fish consumption of a south polar skua population in the maritime Antarctic. Polar Biol 31:959–969. doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0436-x
Hemmings AD (1984) Aspects of the breeding biology of McCormick’s skua Catharacta maccormicki at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Brit Antarct Surv Bull 65:65–79
Hinke JT, Salwicka K, Watters GM, Trivelpiece WZ (2007) Divergent responses of Pygoscelis penguins reveal common environmental driver. Oecologia 153:845–855. doi:10.1007/s00442-007-0781-4
Hull C, Carter R, Whitehead MD (1994) Aspects of breeding chronology and success of the Antarctic skua Catharacta maccormicki at Magnetic Island, Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Corella 18:37–40. doi:10.1071/MU99021
Jablonski B (1986) Distribution, abundance and biomass of a summer community of birds in the region of the Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) in 1978/79. Pol Polar Res 7:217–260
Malzof SL, Quintana RD (2008) Diet of the south polar skua Catharacta maccormicki and the brown skua C. antarctica lonnbergi at Cierva Point, Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 31:827–835. doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0421-4
Moncorps S, Chapuis JL, Haubreux D, Bretagnolle V (1998) Diet of the brown skua Catharacta skua lonnbergi on the Kerguelen archipelago: comparisons between techniques and between islands. Polar Biol 19:9–16. doi:10.1007/s003000050210
Mougeot F, Genevois F, Bretagnolle V (1998) Predation on burrowing petrels by the brown skua (Catharacta skua lonnbergi) at Mayes Island, Kerguelen. J Zool Lond 244:429–438
Müller-Schwarze D, Müller-Schwarze C (1973) Differential predation by south polar skuas in an Adélie penguin rookery. Condor 75:127–131
Myrcha A (1993) Birds. In: Rakusa-Suszczewski S (ed) The Maritime Antarctic Coastal Ecosystem of Admiralty Bay. Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, pp 129–142
Parmelee DF (1988) The hybrid skua: a Southern Ocean enigma. Wilson Bull 100:345–356
Peter H-U, Kaiser M, Gebauer A (1990) Ecological and morphological investigations on south polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and brown Skuas (Catharacta skua lonnbergi) on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. Zool Jb Syst Jena 117:201–218
Pezzo F, Olmastroni S, Corsolini S, Focardi S (2001) Factors affecting the breeding success of the south polar skua Catharacta maccormicki at Edmonson Point, Victoria Land, Antarctica. Polar Biol 24:389–393. doi:10.1007/s00300-006-0218-2
Phillips RA, Phalan B, Forster IP (2004) Diet and long-term changes in population size and productivity of brown skuas Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi at Bird Island, South Georgia. Polar Biol 27:555–561. doi:10.1007/s00300-004-0633-1
Pietz PJ (1987) Feeding and nesting ecology of sympatric south polar and brown skuas. Auk 104:617–627
Pietz PJ, Parmelee DF (1994) Survival, site and mate fidelity in south polar skuas, Catharacta maccormicki at Anvers Island, Antarctica. Ibis 136:32–38. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1994.tb08128.x
Quintana RD, Travaini A (2000) Characteristics of nest sites of skuas and kelp gull in the Antarctic Peninsula. J Field Ornithol 71:236–249. doi:10.1648/0273-8570(2000)071[0236:CONSOS]2.0.CO;2
Quintana RD, Cirelli V, Orgeira JL (2000) Abundance and spatial distribution of bird populations at Cierva Point, Antarctic Peninsula. Mar Ornithol 28:21–27
Reinhardt K, Hahn S, Peter H-U, Wemhoff H (2000) A review of the diets of Southern Hemisphere skuas. Mar Ornithol 28:7–19
Ritz MS, Hahn S, Peter H-U (2005) Factors affecting chick growth in the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki): food supply, weather and hatching date. Polar Biol 29:53–60. doi:10.1007/s00300-005-0027-z
Ritz MS, Hahn S, Janicke T, Peter H-U (2006) Hybridization between south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) and brown skua (C.antarctica lonnbergi) in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Polar Biol 29:153–159. doi:10.1007/s00300-005-0034-0
Ritz MS, Millar C, Miller GD, Phillips RA, Ryan P, Sternkopf V, Liebers-Helbig D, Peter H-U (2008) Phylogeography of the southern skua complex-rapid colonization of the southern hemisphere during a glacial period and reticulate evolution. Mol Phylogenet Evol 49:292–303. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.07.014
Sander M, Balbão TC, Polito MJ, Costa ES, Carneiro APB (2007a) Recent decrease in chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) populations at two of Admiralty Bay’s Islets on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Polar Biol 30:659–661. doi:10.1007/s00300-007-0259-1
Sander M, Balbão TC, Costa ES, dos Santos CR, Petry MV (2007b) Decline of the breeding population of Pygoscelis antarctica and Pygoscelis adeliae on Penguin Island, South Shetland, Antarctica. Polar Biol 30:651–654. doi:10.1007/s00300-006-0218-2
Trillmich F (1978) Feeding territories and breeding success of south polar skuas. Auk 95:23–33
Trivelpiece W, Volkman NJ (1982) Feeding strategies of sympatric south polar Catharacta maccormicki and brown skuas C. lonnbergi. Ibis 124:50–54. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1982.tb03740.x
Trivelpiece W, Butler RG, Volkman NJ (1980) Feeding territories of brown skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi). Auk 97:669–676
Watson GE (1975) Birds of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC
Woehler EJ, Cooper J, Croxall JP, Fraser WR, Kooyman GL, Miller GD, Nel DC, Patterson DL, Peter H-U, Ribic CA, Salwicka K, Trivelpiece WZ, Weimerskirch H (2001) A statistical assessment of the status and trends of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds. Report on SCAR BBS workshop on Southern Ocean seabird populations, Montana
Young EC (1994) Skua and penguin, predator and prey. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Acknowledgments
Our thanks to the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for the Resources of the Sea (Se-CIRM), and Raytheon Polar Services, S. Agius, C. Lin, S. Woods, A. Fröhlich, members of the Laboratory of Ornithology and Marine Animals at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos and A. Duarte. This research was funded in part by a grant to W. Trivelpiece from the US National Science Foundation (OPP 0344275). N. Ratcliff, M. Ritz and E. Woehler provided helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Additional support from the Pew Foundation, Lenfest Marine Program is gratefully acknowledged. This work complies with, and was completed in accordance to, an Antarctic Conservation Act permit, provided by the US National Science Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Carneiro, A.P.B., Polito, M.J., Sander, M. et al. Abundance and spatial distribution of sympatrically breeding Catharacta spp. (skuas) in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica. Polar Biol 33, 673–682 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0743-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0743-x