Birds of Antarctica Trivia Quiz

Answer: Albatross

This particular bird is a Southern Royal Albatross, distinguishable from the slightly larger Wandering Albatross because the white in its wing is on the edge and not down the middle. They eat fish, squid and some crustaceans and live an average of 43 years.
These particular birds (and they do have a northern counterpart) are seen largely in the southern part of the world, around Antarctica, South America, Australia and New Zealand. They only lay one egg every other year.

Answer: Emperor Penguins

Emperor Penguins grow to about 122 cm and can weigh anywhere from 22 to 45 kg. They travel inland to their breeding grounds, where no food supply is available, so they live off their fat supplies. A female lays only one egg a year, losing much of her body weight in the process. Therefore she must eat. So she transfers the egg to the male, who carries it around on the top of his feet, keeping it warm with his brood pouch. If the egg is dropped in the process of transfer, it freezes immediately and that's the end of breeding for that year.
The female returns to the ocean to feed, and the male incubates the egg through the worst of the Antarctic winter. The guys walk in a huddle for warmth, taking turns being at the outer rim of the circle. The egg takes about 64 days to hatch and the young chick is kept warm in the same way that the egg was. The female returns around this time, finds her mate by the sound of his voice and regurgitates food for the baby. The male then returns to the sea to eat, having lost up to 28 kg from his long fast.
The chicks aren't safe yet, as many predators fly around looking to pick up a chick that strays too far from the protection of the group.

Answer: Cape Petrel

Cape Petrels are distinctive because of their beautiful black and white markings. They have an average wingspan of 86 cm. and can dive below water to feed. Estimates place their numbers at greater than two million.
They have an interesting adaptation in the production of a stomach oil, which they store in part of their digestive system. This is used both to feed chicks, and to spit at predators. They've even been known to spit at other Cape Petrels, when competing for food.

Answer: Blue Eyed Shag

That remarkable blue staring out at you is not actually part of the bird's eye, but a circle of blue skin around the eye. The birds also have an orange knob on the tops of their beaks, that becomes more prominent during breeding season.
They are a large bird, measuring 70 - 78 cm. in length and weighing in at anywhere from 1.8 to 3.5 kg. They nest in colonies and are particularly good at diving when feeding, reaching depths of as much as 116 metres.

Answer: They porpoise through the water.

Watching a group of penguins porpoise through the water, like porpoises, is really incredible. The behaviour not only allows them to raise their beaks above water and breathe, but it also helps them escape predators. In raising their heads, they are able to keep an eye on the predator and change directions, if they need to. Sometimes this is the only thing that allows them to escape.
These particular penguins are Gentoo Penguins, regular inhabitants of Antarctica.

Answer: Giant Petrel

The Giant Petrel is almost as large as an Albatross, with a wing span of up to 210 cm. but it is a much more aggressive bird. They often kill penguin chicks for food, but have even been known to kill an Albatross. Like their smaller relatives, the Cape Petrels, they produce a stomach oil that is used for both feeding their chicks and spitting at predators.
They lay one egg a year, usually nesting in small colonies. The birds don't usually start breeding until they reach ten years of age.

Answer: to feed off penguin eggs and chicks

Skuas, pronounced sku-a with a long u, are fearless birds, with hunting methods that have often been compared to those of eagles. They are a large bird, of about 53 cm. in length, that thinks nothing of feeding off of penguin eggs and chicks. One of their favourite ploys is to tug on a nesting penguin's tail feathers.

When the penguin turns in response, the egg is exposed and vulnerable to attack. They have even been known to tug on the tail feathers hard enough to pull the penguin right off its nest. Conversely, a pair of mating skuas will fiercely defend their private colony of penguins from other predatory birds, including other skuas.

Some of these battles can be epic, with birds crashing into each other in the air with such force that bones are sometimes broken.

Answer: Cape Gull

Cape Gulls, or Kelp Gulls as they are often called, are coastal birds that generally live along the southern coasts of Africa, South America and Australia. However they do make sojourns into Antarctica during the summer months. This one is sharing the spotlight with a Gentoo Penguin (on the right), with the characteristic 'lipstick matching the shoes' look that helps identify them (their beak is the same colour as their feet).

Answer: False

Most birds that spend a great deal of time in the ocean have desalinization glands. This particular bird belongs to the tubenose family, called that because these glands are situated in tubes, which also enclose their nostrils, along the sides of their beaks. The salt is excreted out their nostrils. In penguins, these glands are situated under the eyes.

This is a Wandering Albatross, visibly different from the Royal Albatross seen in question one because the white in the wings is situated in the centre of the wing. It's also a larger bird than the Royal Albatross, with recorded wingspans as long as 3.7 metres.

Answer: pebbles

The male Adelie penguin builds a nest out of pebbles and then screams his pride of ownership to attract a mate. They will return to the same nest year after year and pebble theft is very common.
Adelie penguins are medium sized (46-75 cm in height) and are the fastest swimmers in the penguin world, reaching speeds of up to 45 mph.