Difference between revisions of "Template:POTD protected"

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The long-tailed '''[[gentoo penguin]]''' is a penguin species in the genus ''Pygoscelis'', most closely related to the [[Adélie penguin]] and the [[chinstrap penguin]]. The first scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster with a reference point of the Falkland Islands. They call in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting which is emitted with its head thrown back.
The '''[[Brown Skua]]''' is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] zones and moves further north when not breeding.


The gentoo penguin is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. It has pale whitish-pink webbed feet and a fairly long tail - the most prominent tail of all penguins. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. As the gentoo penguin waddles along on land, its tail sticks out behind, sweeping from side to side, hence the scientific name ''Pygoscelis'', which means "rump-tailed". The specific name 'papua' is a misnomer; in the original description, Johann Reinhold Forster, a naturalist who had circumnavigated the world with Captain James Cook, falsely assumed that the species occurred in Papua New Guinea.
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.  


<p><small>Photographer: Arturo de Frias Marques </small></p>
<p><small>Photographer: Jenny Varley</small></p>
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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

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