Difference between revisions of "Template:POTD protected"

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'''[[Byrd Station]]''' is a former research station established by the United States during the International Geophysical Year by the [[U.S. Navy]] during Operation Deep Freeze II in central [[Marie Byrd Land]]. The station was named in honor of American [[Antarctic]] explorer Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]].
The '''[[Brown Skua]]''' is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] zones and moves further north when not breeding.


It was commissioned on 1 January 1957. The original station ("Old Byrd") lasted about four years before it began to collapse under the snow. Construction of a second underground station in a nearby location began in 1960, and it was used until 1972. The Operation Deep Freeze activities were succeeded by "Operation Deep Freeze II", and so on, continuing a constant US presence in [[Antarctica]] since that date.
Brown skuas are masters of piracy, they often feed by stealing partially digested fish from the the beaks of other birds. Their victims are typically terns or [[penguin]]s, though other fish-eating species are also pursued until they disgorge their catches. The fact that skuas are swift and agile fliers (and that they sometimes gang up on a single victim) aid in their success rate. This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals even the largest gulls as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan.  


In November 2001, Byrd Station was declared to be the capital city of the [[Achaean Territory of Antarctica]] and was renamed "Achilles" in honor of the Greek hero of the Trojan War. It was thought that because the station was essentially abandoned, there would be no one present to stop an expedition from Achaea from utilizing it as their own headquarters of operations.
<p><small>Photographer: Jenny Varley</small></p>
 
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<p><small>Photographer: Mark Sabbatini</small></p>
[[:Category:Images|'''(More Featured Images)''']]
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Latest revision as of 14:07, 16 April 2024

Brown Suka eating chick.jpg

The Brown Skua is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves further north when not breeding.

Brown skuas are masters of piracy, they often feed by stealing partially digested fish from the the beaks of other birds. Their victims are typically terns or penguins, though other fish-eating species are also pursued until they disgorge their catches. The fact that skuas are swift and agile fliers (and that they sometimes gang up on a single victim) aid in their success rate. This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals even the largest gulls as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan.

Photographer: Jenny Varley

(More Images)