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Quiz about Birds of Antarctica
Quiz about Birds of Antarctica

Birds of Antarctica Trivia Quiz


In a world that is largely covered year round by ice, only the truly hardy survive. Nonetheless some species do choose to make Antarctica home - some only visiting for the summer, while others stay year round. What do you know about some of these birds?

A photo quiz by skunkee. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
skunkee
Time
5 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
335,482
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1231
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 24 (6/10), Rizeeve (10/10), Guest 72 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. This majestic bird is from the family of the largest sea birds in the world. It has a wingspan of almost three metres (which is only a little smaller than another of its family) and could often be seen keeping pace with our ship. Made famous in the poem 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner', what bird is this? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. These well dressed birds are very much the most hard core of all of the Antarctic species. They are year round residents, and they not only live mostly on the Antarctic mainland, but actually move further inland (sometimes as far as 120 km) to their annual breeding grounds, during the height of winter. What kind of penguins are these three? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Sometimes referred to as Cape Pigeons, this common seabird can be found feeding in Antarctica on fish and krill. Often found in flocks, following ships, what is the name of this beautiful bird? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. These beautiful birds are actually cormorants, although they are known by another, more colourful name. They are the only cormorant brave enough to fly as far south as Antarctica. By what other name are they known? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. When not breeding and caring for chicks, penguins spend enormous amounts of time in the water. How do they breathe? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This large seabird is a very aggressive bird when it comes to meal times. It can be either a scavenger, feeding on dead carcasses, or a predator, killing other birds. They can often be seen following ships, particularly fishing vessels. What bird is this? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. These South Polar Skuas live at sea for a large part of the year, feeding mostly on fish. But when it's time to breed, they often make their nests close to penguin colonies. Why do they do this? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. A less frequent visitor to Antarctica, the bird on the left is sometimes spotted there during the summer months. What is it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. This impressive bird, the largest seabird in the world, can spend weeks at a time at sea. In fact the naturalist on the ship said that they can spend up to two years at sea, without making land. They are able to do this because they don't need to drink water.


Question 10 of 10
10. Although Adelie Penguins spend most of the year at sea, living on ice, they come to land to breed. What do they build their nests out of? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 16 2024 : Guest 24: 6/10
Mar 09 2024 : Rizeeve: 10/10
Mar 06 2024 : Guest 72: 6/10
Feb 17 2024 : Guest 3: 7/10
Feb 05 2024 : Dagny1: 10/10
Jan 30 2024 : Guest 2: 4/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This majestic bird is from the family of the largest sea birds in the world. It has a wingspan of almost three metres (which is only a little smaller than another of its family) and could often be seen keeping pace with our ship. Made famous in the poem 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner', what bird is this?

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.
2. These well dressed birds are very much the most hard core of all of the Antarctic species. They are year round residents, and they not only live mostly on the Antarctic mainland, but actually move further inland (sometimes as far as 120 km) to their annual breeding grounds, during the height of winter. What kind of penguins are these three?

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.
3. Sometimes referred to as Cape Pigeons, this common seabird can be found feeding in Antarctica on fish and krill. Often found in flocks, following ships, what is the name of this beautiful bird?

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.
4. These beautiful birds are actually cormorants, although they are known by another, more colourful name. They are the only cormorant brave enough to fly as far south as Antarctica. By what other name are they known?

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.
5. When not breeding and caring for chicks, penguins spend enormous amounts of time in the water. How do they breathe?

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.
6. This large seabird is a very aggressive bird when it comes to meal times. It can be either a scavenger, feeding on dead carcasses, or a predator, killing other birds. They can often be seen following ships, particularly fishing vessels. What bird is this?

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.
7. These South Polar Skuas live at sea for a large part of the year, feeding mostly on fish. But when it's time to breed, they often make their nests close to penguin colonies. Why do they do this?

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.
8. A less frequent visitor to Antarctica, the bird on the left is sometimes spotted there during the summer months. What is it?

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).
9. This impressive bird, the largest seabird in the world, can spend weeks at a time at sea. In fact the naturalist on the ship said that they can spend up to two years at sea, without making land. They are able to do this because they don't need to drink water.

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.
10. Although Adelie Penguins spend most of the year at sea, living on ice, they come to land to breed. What do they build their nests out of?

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.
Source: Author skunkee

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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