Birds
ANTARCTIC Ocean & Seashore

The birds of the Antarctic include sheathbills, gulls, skuas, albatross, giant petrels and cormorants...

Class Aves

Order Charadriiformes: waders & shorebirds

Family Chionidae: 'Sheathbills'

Chionis albus, 'Snowy Sheathbill', (Antarctic peninsula). The only 'land' bird native to Antarctica.

Family Stercorariidae: 'Skuas' and 'Jaegers'

Family Laridae: Gulls

Larus dominicanus, 'Kelp Gull'.

Family Spheniscidae: Penguins

A penguin porpoising.

A moulting penguin is a mess!

Penguins don't have teeth, but they do have something that looks similar inside their mouths. These are backwards pointing barbs, that help grip their slippery prey and encourage the one way direction down their throat.

Pygoscelis spp. 'Brush-tailed Penguins'

There are three species in this genus.

Pygoscelis papua, 'Gentoo Penguin'

Gentoo Penguins usually lay two eggs. After about a month, the two chicks hatch. Both of the parents incubate the eggs and feed the young, taking turns. 

Pygoscelis adeliae, 'Adelie Penguin'.

Pygoscelis antarcticus, 'Chinstrap Penguin'.

Order Procellariiformes: Tubenoses

 Macronectes giganteus, 'Southern Giant Petrel'.

Pachyptila desolata, 'Antarctic Prion'.

Storm Petrels

Order: Suliformes

Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants

Leucocarbo bransfieldensis, 'Antarctic Cormorant'.

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