Research Catalog

Title

Skua and penguin : predator and prey / Euan Young.

Author

Young, Euan.

Publication

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1994.

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Holdings

Details

Description

xvi, 452 pages : illustrations, maps; 26 cm.

Summary

• Although much of Antarctica is permanently covered in snow and ice, there are also substantial areas of barren rock and scree which provide a breeding ground for two of the continent's most well-known birds: the south polar skua and the Adelie penguin. This book considers the relationship between these two species, taking as its study site Ross Island on the coastal fringe of the continent.
• Through detailed observations of the foraging ecology of the skua, the traditional view that skuas are totally dependent on penguin eggs and chicks for food is challenged.
• In addition, studies of the impact of skuas on penguin breeding and the extent to which the skua breeding cycle is functionally related to that of the penguin provide further evidence to suggest that the two species occur together independently as a consequence of limited breeding space, rather than as a result of a distinct predator-prey relationship.
• This book provides a fascinating insight into the life of the skua and the penguin. It will be of interest to all ornithologists and to ecologists studying predator-prey relationships, who will find in it a wealth of detailed information about the relationship between the two most visible and accessible of Antarctic bird species.

Series Statement

Studies in polar research

Uniform Title

Studies in polar research.

Subjects

• Predation (Biology)
• Antarctica
• Adélie penguin > Antarctica > Ross Island (Ross Sea)
• Birds
• South Polar skua

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [433]-443) and index.

Contents

1. Introduction -- 2. The study area: Ross Island and the Cape Bird penguin colonies -- 3. The range of foods available to the skuas at Cape Bird during the breeding season -- 4. The biomass of penguin eggs and chicks on the Northern Colony -- 5. Factors of penguin breeding biology that constrain or assist skua predation of eggs and chicks -- 6. Description of scavenging and predatory behaviour of skuas and the defensive behaviour of penguins -- 7. The diversity and intensity of skua foraging behaviour on the penguin colony -- 8. The amount of food taken by the skuas from the penguin colony -- 9. The costs and returns of foraging at the colony and at sea -- 10. Immediate impact of the skuas on penguin breeding -- 11. Appreciating the penguins: is it worth living with the penguins and do skuas appreciate the advantage? -- 12. Associating together: the longer-term implications -- 13. Synthesis.

ISBN

0521322510 (hardback)

LCCN

94189420

OCLC

ocm30112124

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries