Birds+-+Joanne

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__**Antarctica**__
__#|Antarctica__ is located in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere. Almost of Antarctica is south of the Antarctic circle and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. After Asia, Africa, North America and South America. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in area at 14.0 million km2. 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice. Antarctica is considered a desert because it is the coldest, driest and windiest continent. The average temperature in Antarctica is -89 degrees.

There are at least 45 species of birds in __#|Antarctica__.

__**Four types if birds in**__ **#|Antarctica__:__** **Skua,Snow Petrel,Sheathbill,Blue-eyed cormorant.**

A Skua chick

__ **Skua** ____ **:** __
The Skuas are a group of seabirds with about 7 species.

__** Breeding: **__
In October to mid December, the South polar skua arrive in their breeding colonies. After a incubation period over 24-34 days, in late December to late January that's when their eggs would hatch.

**__ Diet: __**
These birds prey on the eggs of the Adelie Penguins during the summer months near the coast, while the other skuas feed mostly on fish and krill.

__**Survival:**__
The Skua is a warm blooded bird just like Seals,Whales and Penguins and maintain the same internal blood temperature as warm blooded animals in another climate zone. They have a layer of fat to insulate and protect them from the cold. To keep them warm, they have waterproof feathers. .

A Snow Petrel chick

__**Snow Petrels:**__
The Snow Petrel is a small white fulmarine petrel with a black underdo wn, with coal __ #|black eyes __ and a small black bill with bluish grey feet.

**__Breeding:__**
The breeding of a Snow Petrel are in colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula and many Antarctic islands. One egg is laid in late November to mid December and is incubated for 41to 49 days and the chick is brooded for 8 days.

__**Diet:**__
These birds as carnivores which means they mainly eat molluscs,fish,krill and carrion. They also eat squid,seal,placenta and the carcasses of dead seals.

The Snow Petrel is a warm blooded bird. It maintains the same blood temperature as Seals, Whales and Penguins.They also have a layer of fat to keep them insulated from the cold with waterproof feathers to keep them warm.

__**Predators:**__
The predator of the Snow Petrel is mainly the South Polar Skua.



**__Sheathbill:__**
The sheathbill has a thick layer of white feathers covering their whole body with only their face and leg colour that make out the two different species, and are the only Antarctic birds without webbed feet. They look dove like but are believed to be similar to the ancestors of the modern gull and tern.

__ Breeding: __
The Sheathbill breed on sub antarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Their breeding time is at the same time as the penguins breed. Two to four eggs are laid January/December and are incubated by both parents for 28-32 days and fledged the birds in 7-9 weeks in late February.

__**Diet:**__
These birds aren't seabirds so they basically eat anything that is organic. Most of their food comes from penguins,other seabirds and seals.

**__Survival:__**
With warm blood like Seals, Whales and Penguins they have the same blood temperature, and have a layer of fat to insulate them in the cold.

__**Blue-eyed Comorant/Shag:**__
The blue-eyed Shag/Cormorant is located on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Scotia Arc, South Georgia and the western coast of South America. Blue-eyed shags are identified with vivid blue eye colour and an orange/yellow base on their beaks. They have a white breast,a black __#|back__ with white cheeks and neck.With a recorded dive of 121.92m the shag is considered a excellent diver

**Breeding:**
They maintain a nest all year where the sea is ice-free. These birds lay three eggs in October through to early January,and hatch in November to February. Unlike other birds Shag chicks are born "naked" which means they are born with no feathers.

__**Diet:**__
These birds fish in large groups and help each other by making the fish panic into having nowhere to go but the beak of the next bird,and mainly feed on fish and invertebrates.

__**Predators:**__
The main predators of the shag are the Sheathbills,which steal eggs from the nest and the Leopard Seal,which attack them at sea.

__** Survival: **__
The Shag is a warm blooded bird. It maintains the same blood temperature as Seals, Whales and Penguins. They also have a layer of fat to keep them insulated from the cold with waterproof feathers to keep them warm.